James Weldon Johnson Writes "Lift Every Voice and Sing"

James Weldon Johnson wrote the lyrics to "Lift Every Voice and Sing" for a celebration of Abraham Lincoln's birthday in Jacksonville, Florida, with music composed by his brother J. Rosamond Johnson. The song spread rapidly through Black communities and schools, and the NAACP later dubbed it the "Negro National Anthem." It remains the most recognized anthem of Black American identity and perseverance.