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Artist
White Studio, active 1903 - 1936
Sitter
J. Rosamond Johnson, 11 Aug 1873 - 11 Nov 1954
Date
1912
Type
Photograph
Medium
Gelatin silver print
Dimensions
Image/Sheet: 18.6 × 12.5 cm (7 5/16 × 4 15/16")
Mount: 27.8 × 17.5 cm (10 15/16 × 6 7/8")
Topic
Interior
Costume\Dress Accessory\Handkerchief
Costume\Jewelry\Pin
Costume\Dress Accessory\Neckwear\Tie\Necktie
J. Rosamond Johnson: Male
J. Rosamond Johnson: Performing Arts\Performer\Musician\Composer
Portrait
Place
United States\New York\Kings\New York
Credit Line
National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution
Restrictions & Rights
CC0
Object number
NPG.2018.50
Exhibition Label
Born Jacksonville, Florida
In 1899, composer J. Rosamond Johnson set to music a three-stanza poem by his brother, the writer and future civil rights leader James Weldon Johnson.The result was “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” the soaring, inspirational hymn later adopted by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and widely embraced as the “Black National Anthem.” The work debuted on February 12, 1900, when it was performed in celebration of Lincoln’s birthday by five hundred children at the Stanton School, the only school open to Black students in Jacksonville, Florida.
More than a century since its introduction, “Lift Every Voice and Sing” continues to resonate. It has been performed movingly by Beyoncé and remains closely associated with the struggle for social justice, including the Black Lives Matter movement. In January 2021, Representative James Clyburn introduced a bill in Congress that would
make “Lift Every Voice and Sing” the national hymn.
Nacido en Jacksonville, Florida
En 1899 el compositor J. Rosamond Johnson puso música a un poema de tres estrofas creado por su hermano, el escritor y futuro líder de los derechos civiles James Weldon Johnson. Así surgió “Lift Every Voice and Sing” (Elevad las voces y cantad), el inspirador himno que luego adoptó la Asociación Nacional para el Progreso de las Personas de Color (NAACP) y que se ha dado a conocer como el “himno nacional negro”. La obra se estrenó el 12 de febrero de 1900 en una celebración del natalicio de Abraham Lincoln, cantada por 500 niños en la Escuela Stanton, única que admitía alumnos negros en Jacksonville, Florida.
Más de un siglo después, “Lift Every Voice and Sing” continúa resonando. Ha sido interpretada con emoción por Beyoncé y sigue muy asociada con la lucha por la justicia social, incluido el movimiento Black Lives Matter. En enero de 2021, el representante James Clyburn presentó en el Congreso un proyecto de ley para hacer de ella el himno espiritual nacional.
