| *A New Generation of Leadership* |
| President Bush Cabinet 2000 - 2004 |
| America & The World Thanks You For Your Service. |
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| U.S. Secretary of Education, Dr. Rod Paige |
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| National Security Advisor Dr. Condoleezza Rice |
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| Secretary of State Colin L. Powell |
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| George Washington Carver |
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| Sojourner Truth |
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| Frederick Douglass |
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| CrossRoad's In History - Let Our Past Be Our Guide! |
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| Timeline of American Blacks Republican - Click Bar |
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| A Black Republican Wrote The NAACP'S National Anthem |
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| James Weldon Johnson (1871-1938) |
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By Frances Rice
Every time the NAACP sings its national anthem, Lift Every Voice and Sing, it honors a black Republican, James Weldon Johnson (1871-1938). This inspirational song, which was also adopted in the 1940's by millions of black Americans as the Negro National Anthem, was written in 1900 by Johnson in collaboration with his talented musician brother, John Rosamond Johnson, to commemorate President Abraham Lincoln's birthday.
The NAACP itself was founded on President Lincoln's 100th birthday, February 12, 1909, by three white Republicans who opposed the racist practices of the Democratic Party and the lynching of blacks by Democrats.
Johnson, who was born and educated in Jacksonville, Florida, served as field secretary for the NAACP in 1916 when he was offered the position by Joel E. Springham after attending the Armenia Conference on racial issues. In 1920, Johnson became the general secretary of the NAACP, the first black man to hold that office. He resigned from his position with the NAACP in 1930 after serving the organization for nearly 15 years.
As the leader of the NAACP and a Republican, Johnson championed equal rights for blacks, and used legal action, political pressure, and publicity which became an effective strategy against the racist practices of the Democrats. He was the driving force behind efforts to pass an anti-lynching law, and he led the fight to end the Democratic Party’s denial of blacks the right to participate in primary elections in the South. It took a law suit in the 1930’s that went all the way up to the U.S. Supreme Court to force the Democratic Party to allow blacks in that party. The Republican Party, which began as the anti-slavery party in 1854, was the party for black Americans from its inception, and that party has never turned its back on blacks.
After Johnson moved to New York in 1902 and became active in the Colored Republican Club of New York, he was appointed to the post of United States Consul in Puerto Cabello, Venezuela, by Republican President Theodore Roosevelt. Johnson transferred to a similar post in Corinto, Nicaragua in 1909. His role in helping the United States Marines defeat the rebels when a revolution broke out in Nicaragua in 1912 earned Johnson wide acclaim.
In 1914, after Democrat President Woodrow Wilson from Virginia was elected, Johnson resigned from the U.S. Consular Service because he believed that there would be little opportunities for black Americans in Wilson's administration. President Wilson subsequently dismissed all black American federal officials. During Wilson's presidency, the Democrat-controlled Congress introduced the greatest number of bills proposing racial segregation and discrimination than had ever been introduced before.
The Daily American, the first black American-owned newspaper, was founded by Johnson in 1895. In the newspaper, which lasted for less than a year, Johnson addressed racial injustice, and, in keeping with his Republican values, asserted a self-help philosophy that was shared by Booker T. Washington. He also argued for the merits of racial integration and cooperation in both his newspaper and later literary works. While serving as the principal of Stanton Elementary School in Jacksonville, Johnson studied law under a white lawyer named Thomas A. Ledwith, and, in 1898, became the first black American to pass the Florida bar examination.
Johnson was a songwriter, poet, civil rights leader, and novelist. He was most likely better known for his literary works in the 1920's during the golden era of black culture and writing, known as the Harlem Renaissance, than he was for his leadership of the NAACP. He was a mentor for young writers during that time, including Langston Hughes.
Among Johnson’s works is The Autobiography of an Ex-Coloured Man, a novel about a black man who passed for white, published anonymously in 1912 and reissued in 1927 under his own name. He wrote his autobiography Along the Way in 1933, but his most celebrated work is The Book of American Negro Poetry published in 1922 that helped define what became known as the Harlem Renaissance. He and his musically talented brother, John, became a successful songwriting team on Broadway with Bob Cole, writing such hit songs as Nobody’s Lookin’ but de Owl and de Moon in 1901, Under the Bamboo Tree in 1902 and Congo Love Song in 1903.
Although he died tragically in an automobile accident in 1938 while on vacation in Maine, he is remembered for his dedication to serving his fellow human beings and his unfailing integrity.
Information about Johnson's life can be found in his papers in Yale university's Beinecke Library. The Library of Congress also has manuscripts about Johnson, including the NAACP Collection and the Booker T. Washington Papers. A comprehensive biography is James Weldon Johnson: Black Leader, Black Voice by Eugene Levy published in 1973. An essay about Johnson written by Robert E. Fleming at the University of New Mexico and published in the Literary Encyclopedia on January 8, 2001 can be found on the Internet at mailto:www.LitEncyc.com. |
Has The NAACP Forgotten It's Roots? "Lift Every Voice and Sing" |
| Should New Orleans Get Rebuilt And Who Should Pay For It?
The rebuilding of New Orleans will cost many billions and perhaps even tens of billions of dollars. On top of that the levee system and other water control improvements will be needed to prevent a repeat of the Hurricane Katrina disaster. Faced with these huge costs a question arises: Is New Orleans an economically viable city? Should it be rebuilt? It is time to look at the tax base and economics of New Orleans.More> | RETURNING TO NEW ORLEANS....The federal government and the mayor of New Orleans are at odds about how safe it is to return to New Orleans:
"The return of the general population to the city of New Orleans is problematic," [Thad] Allen, the Coast Guard's chief of staff, said in an interview....Water, sewage and electrical systems are unable to "meet the basic needs of the businesses and residents who return." More> |
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| President Bush Prayer Team > Click Picture to Join! |
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| Republican Oath I'm a Republican Because... I BELIEVE the strength of our nation lies with the individual and that each person’s dignity, freedom, ability and responsibility must be honored. >More |
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| MAY 6, 2005 Come, Visit with Mason Weaver In Covington, TN , >Click Picture |
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| American Blacks & Republicans Stand Together Against Same-Sex Marriage. |
Same-Sex Marriage Opponets Vow To Fight On WASHINGTON (AP) -- The 50-48 roll call by which the Senate blocked a constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage. Supporters of the amendment fell 12 votes short of the 60 they needed to advance the bill. A "yes" vote was a vote to advance the measure and a "no" vote was a vote to stop it. Voting "yes" were 3 Democrats and 45 Republicans. Voting "no" were 43 Democrats, 6 Republicans and 1 Independent. | Using Black America: The Homosexual lobby's turn
It should come as no surprise that the homosexual lobby has launched a campaign to use black America for its pernicious purpose of promoting same-sex "marriage." Blacks have proven time and again to be a useful tool in promoting the sick desires of black leaders, the Democratic Party and the elite white feminist movement (yes, most feminists are upper-class angry white women) – why shouldn't radical homosexuals continue the trend? More> |
Homosexuality Brings Down Elected Official! New Jersey governor quits, comes out as gay, McGreevey announces resignation after telling of affair, (CNN) -- Dropping a political bombshell, New Jersey Gov. James McGreevey announced his resignation Thursday after revealing that he is gay and that he had an adulterous affair with a man. >More |
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| Man Know They Self - History Repeats - History Can Save The Country - Click Bar |
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| Our Proud Republican Past. |
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| First Colored Senators And Representatvies, In the 41st and 42nd Congress of the United States 1872 - Click Picture |
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| Carter G. Woodson "Switch Parties If Your Not Being Represented" |
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| Carter G. Woodson |
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| Carter G. Woodson, Father of Black History These are the words of Dr. Carter Godwin Woodson, distinguished Black author, editor, publisher, and historian (December 1875 - April 1950). Carter G. Woodson believed that Blacks should know their past in order to participate intelligently in the affairs in our country. He strongly believed that Black history - which others have tried so diligently to erase - is a firm foundation for young Black Americans to build on in order to become productive citizens of our society.. MORE> |
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| Carter G. Woodson (5-CD Audio Book)>Click Picture to Buy |
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| Fighting for Freedom with Balance & Strength, turned the tide in The Civil War >Click |
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