Writer, diplomat, and NAACP leader James Weldon Johnson dies in a car accident at age 67.
At a Glance
- Date
- 26 June 1938
- Location
- Wiscasset, Maine
- Key people
- James Weldon Johnson
- Category
- Arts & Literature
- Source
- Biographical records · Library of Congress
What It Meant Then
He co-wrote 'Lift Every Voice and Sing,' embraced as the Black national anthem.
What It Means Now
Johnson's poetry and leadership shaped the Harlem Renaissance and the NAACP.
Cite this page
- MLA
- “James Weldon Johnson Dies.” Black-History.com, 30 Sept. 2026, https://black-history.com/on-this-day/james-weldon-johnson-dies/.
- APA
- Black-History.com Editors. (2026, September 30). James Weldon Johnson Dies. Black-History.com. https://black-history.com/on-this-day/james-weldon-johnson-dies/
- Chicago
- Black-History.com Editors. “James Weldon Johnson Dies.” Black-History.com. September 30, 2026. https://black-history.com/on-this-day/james-weldon-johnson-dies/.
Editorial Note
By the Black-History.com editors. Last reviewed 30 September 2026. To suggest a primary source or a correction, write to editors@black-history.com or use our corrections form.