'Sonnet (From the Spanish of Plácido)' Summary

James Weldon Johnson was born in Jacksonville, Florida, in 1871. He graduated from Atlanta University in 1894 and then studied law at Columbia University. After graduating from law school, Johnson returned to Jacksonville and began practicing law. He also became involved in politics and civil rights activism. In 1901, Johnson was elected to the Florida House of Representatives. He served in the House for two terms and then was elected to the Florida Senate. In 1906, Johnson was appointed by President Theodore Roosevelt to be the consul to Venezuela. He served in this position for two years and then returned to the United States. In 1917, Johnson joined the NAACP. He quickly rose through the ranks of the organization and in 1920 was elected executive secretary. Johnson led the NAACP for 20 years and during that time he helped to make the organization one of the most powerful civil rights organizations in the United States. Johnson also wrote several books and poems about the African American experience. He died in 1938.