James Weldon Johnson

Presents a personal perspective on the American light-skinned Negro's experience in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries

The Autobiography of an Ex-Coloured Man

Originally published in 1912, this novel was one of the first to present a frank picture of being black in America Masked in the tradition of the literary confession practiced by such writers as St. Augustine and Rousseau, this "autobiography" purports to be a candid account of its narrator's private views and feelings as well as an acknowledgement of the central secret of his life: that though he lives as a white man, he is, by heritage and experience, an African-American. Written by the first black executive secretary of the NAACP, The Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man, in its depiction of turn-of-the-century New York, anticipates the social realism of the Harlem Renaissance writers. In its unprecedented analysis of the social causes of a black man's denial of the best within himself, it is perhaps James Weldon Johnson's greatest service to his race. For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.

The Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man

A collection of Negro sermons exemplifying the Negro spirit

Seven Negro Sermons in Verse

God's Trombones

Ulrich Baer

Cornelius Eady

Michael S. Harper

Sterling Stuckey

Sterling A. Brown

Collected Poems of Sterling A. Brown

The attitudes and experiences of a distinguished Black American, first published in 1912

The Autobiography of an Ex-coloured Man

UP FROM SLAVERY The autobiography of Booker T Washington is a startling portrait ofone of the great Americans of the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. The illegitimate son of 'a white man and a Negro slave, Washington, a man who struggled for his education, would go on to struggle for the dignity of all his people in a hostile and alien society. THE SOULS OF BLACK FOLK W.E.B. DuBois's classic is a major sociological document and one of the momentous books in the mosaic of American literature. No other work has had greater influence on black thinking, and nowhere is the African-American's unique heritage and his kinship with all men so passionately described. THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF AN EX-COLORED MAN Originally published anonymously, James Weldon Johnson's penetrating work is a remarkable human account of the life of black Americans in the early twentieth century and a profound interpretation of his feelings towards the white man and towards members of his own race. No other book touches with such understanding and objectivity on the phenomenon once called "passing" in a white society. These three narratives, gathered together in Three Negro Classics chronicle the remarkable evolution of African-American consciousness on both a personal and social level. Profound, intelligent, and insightful, they are as relevant today as they have ever been. The Autobiography of Booker T. Washington is a startling portrait of one of the great Americans of the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. The illegitimate son of a white man and a Negro slave, Washington, a man who struggled for his education, would go on to struggle for the dignity of all his people in a hostile and alien society.W.E.B. DuBois's classic is a major sociological document and one of the momentous books in the mosaic of American literature. No other work has had greater influence on black thinking, and nowhere is the African-American's unique heritage and his kinship with all men so passionately described.Originally published anonymously, James Weldon Johnson's penetrating work is a remarkable human accout of the life of black Americans in the early twentieth century and a profound interpretation of his feelings towards the w3hite man and towards members of his own race. No other book touches with such understanding and objectivity on the phenomenon once called "passing" in a white society.These three narratives, gathered together in Three Negro Classics, chronicle the remarkable evolution of African-American consciousness on both a personal and social level. Profound, intelligent, and insightful, they are as relevant today as they have ever been.

Three Negro Classics

The complete poems of James Weldon Johnson are collected in the centenary year of "Lift Every Voice and Sing," considered to be his most important work.

Complete Poems

A classic work that traces the New York black experience from the pre-revolutionary period to the triumphant achievements of Harlem in the 1920s. Featuring a foreword by Zadie Smith.

Black Manhattan

Bryan Collier

Provides an illustrated version of the song that has come to be considered the African-American national anthem, a song written in 1900 to celebrate Abraham Lincoln's birthday. 40,000 first printing.

Lift Every Voice and Sing

A single-volume compilation of some of the most important writings by the early twentieth-century African-American intellectual and activist features two short plays, the novel Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man, poems from God's Trombones and St. Peter Relates an Incident, and important cultural and political essays. Original.

The Essential Writings of James Weldon Johnson

Reproduction of the original: Fifty Years & Other Poems by James Weldon Johnson

Fifty Years & Other Poems

Fifty years and Other Poems (EasyRead Super Large 20pt Edition)

African-American writer's pioneering novel parallels his own life, probes the psychological aspects of "passing for white," and examines the American caste and class system. Major contribution to American literature.

2000 marks the centenary of "Lift Every Voice and Sing," James Weldon Johnson's most famous lyric, which is now embraced as the Negro National Anthem. In celebration, this Penguin original collects all the poems from Johnson's published works—Fifty Years and Other Poems (1917), God's Trombones (1927), and Saint Peter Relates an Incident of the Resurrection Day (1935)—along with a number of previously unpublished poems. Sondra Kathryn Wilson, the foremost authority on Johnson and his work, provides an introduction that sheds light on Johnson's many achievements and his pioneering contributions to recording and celebrating the African American experience. For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.

Negro Americans, What Now?

Harriet Beecher Stowe

Harriet Jacobs

Frederick Douglass

Booker T. Washington

William Wells Brown

Mark Twain

Harriet E. Wilson

Lydia Maria Child

Charles W. Chesnutt

Musaicum Books presents to you a unique collection of the recorded testimonies of former slaves, memoirs, historical studies, reports of the life and laws in the south, legislation on civil rights, as well as popular fiction which unveiled the injustice and horrors of slavery to the masses: Slave Narratives Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass The Underground Railroad Harriet: The Moses of Her People 12 Years a Slave Life, Last Words and Dying Speech of Stephen Smith Who Was Executed for Burglary From the Darkness Cometh the Light Up From Slavery Willie Lynch Letter Confessions of Nat Turner Narrative of Sojourner Truth Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl History of Mary Prince Running a Thousand Miles for Freedom Thirty Years a Slave The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano Behind The Scenes Father Henson's Story of His Own Life Fifty Years in Chains Twenty-Two Years a Slave and Forty Years a Freeman Narrative of the Life and Adventures of Henry Bibb Story of Mattie J. Jackson A Slave Girl's Story Narrative of the Life of Moses Grandy Narrative of the Life of Henry Box Brown, Who Escaped in a 3x2 Feet Box Memoir and Poems of Phillis Wheatley Buried Alive For a Quarter of a Century Historical Documents: Emancipation Proclamation (January 1, 1863) Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution (1865) Civil Rights Act of 1866 Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution (1868) Reconstruction Acts (1867-1868) Fifteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution (1870) Studies: Captain Canot History of American Abolitionism Pictures of Slavery in Church and State Report on Charge of Aiding and Abetting in the Rescue of a Fugitive Slave Southern Horrors: Lynch Law in All Its Phases Duty of Disobedience to the Fugitive Slave Act Pearl Incident Novels: Oroonoko Uncle Tom's Cabin Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Heroic Slave Slavery's Pleasant Homes Our Nig Clotelle Marrow of Tradition Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man A Fool's Errand Bricks Without Straw Imperium in Imperio The Hindered Hand

Memoirs, Interviews, Testimonies, Studies, Novels, Official Records on Slavery and Abolitionism

The Memories of Life Before the Juneteenth

e-artnow presents the collection of the recorded testimonies of former slaves, memoirs, historical studies, reports of the life and laws in the south, legislation on civil rights, as well as popular fiction which unveiled the injustice and horrors of slavery to the masses:_x000D_ Slave Narratives_x000D_ Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass_x000D_ The Underground Railroad_x000D_ Harriet: The Moses of Her People_x000D_ 12 Years a Slave_x000D_ Life, Last Words and Dying Speech of Stephen Smith Who Was Executed for Burglary_x000D_ From the Darkness Cometh the Light_x000D_ Up From Slavery_x000D_ Willie Lynch Letter_x000D_ Confessions of Nat Turner_x000D_ Narrative of Sojourner Truth_x000D_ Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl_x000D_ History of Mary Prince_x000D_ Running a Thousand Miles for Freedom_x000D_ Thirty Years a Slave_x000D_ The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano_x000D_ Behind The Scenes_x000D_ Father Henson's Story of His Own Life_x000D_ Fifty Years in Chains_x000D_ Twenty-Two Years a Slave and Forty Years a Freeman_x000D_ Narrative of the Life and Adventures of Henry Bibb_x000D_ Story of Mattie J. Jackson_x000D_ A Slave Girl's Story_x000D_ Narrative of the Life of Moses Grandy_x000D_ Narrative of the Life of Henry Box Brown, Who Escaped in a 3x2 Feet Box_x000D_ Memoir and Poems of Phillis Wheatley_x000D_ Buried Alive For a Quarter of a Century_x000D_ Historical Documents:_x000D_ Emancipation Proclamation (January 1, 1863)_x000D_ Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution (1865)_x000D_ Civil Rights Act of 1866_x000D_ Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution (1868)_x000D_ Reconstruction Acts (1867-1868)_x000D_ Fifteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution (1870)_x000D_ Studies: _x000D_ Captain Canot_x000D_ History of American Abolitionism_x000D_ Pictures of Slavery in Church and State_x000D_ Report on Charge of Aiding and Abetting in the Rescue of a Fugitive Slave_x000D_ Southern Horrors: Lynch Law in All Its Phases_x000D_ Duty of Disobedience to the Fugitive Slave Act_x000D_ Pearl Incident_x000D_ Novels:_x000D_ Oroonoko_x000D_ Uncle Tom's Cabin_x000D_ Adventures of Huckleberry Finn_x000D_ Heroic Slave_x000D_ Slavery's Pleasant Homes_x000D_ Our Nig_x000D_ Clotelle_x000D_ Marrow of Tradition_x000D_ Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man_x000D_ A Fool's Errand_x000D_ Bricks Without Straw_x000D_ Imperium in Imperio_x000D_ The Hindered Hand

The Juneteenth Edition: Novels, Memoirs, Interviews, Testimonies, Studies, Official Records on Slavery and Abolitionism

A Life in Chains

The Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man, novel by James Weldon Johnson, published in 1912. This fictional autobiography, originally issued anonymously in order to suggest authenticity, explores the intricacies of racial identity through the eventful life of its mixed-race (and unnamed) narrator. The narrator, born in Georgia, tells of his childhood in Connecticut, where his mixed-race mother, aided by monthly checks from the boy’s white father, is able to provide a secure and cultured environment. Learning of his black heritage only by accident, the narrator experiences the first of several identity shifts that will eventually find him opting for membership in white society. A European interlude under the sponsorship of a wealthy white male companion raises the question of sexual identity as well, but the novel never makes this issue explicit. Throughout the work, Johnson employs characters, locales, incidents, and motifs from his own life, but the narrator is less a conscious self-portrait than a representation of the author’s own ambivalence.

James Weldon Johnson

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