CFA is proud to celebrate James Weldon Johnson, NYU’s first Black faculty member. We honor him today and every day by supporting the James Weldon Johnson Professorship and the faculty who continue his legacy and devotion to education and social justice. Perhaps best known for writing the lyrics to “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” often called the Black National Anthem, Johnson was also one of the leaders of the Harlem Renaissance, and truly a Renaissance man. His vocations and passions included civil rights activist, poet, lawyer, politician, writer, and educator. Read more about his remarkable life!