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Recounts the life of the author and civil rights leader who blazed a trail for racial equality and human rights through his songs, poems, speeches, and other writings. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

acceptable for its targeted audience
This book is for very young readers to learn about Mr. Weldon Johnson.The photos are huge and the text rather simple, as it should be for its audience.The work begins with the creation of "Lift Every Voice," rather than JWJ's birth.It contextualizes his life and activism by speaking of the Reconstruction and Jim Crow segregation.It mentions praiseworthy facts such as his becoming the first Black member of Florida's bar and writing two autobiographies.Grittier topics like his thinking he wasn't Black as a youth, his absence from his birth father and sister, and his possible bisexuality are not brought up.This book would be a good text for younger students who have to give speeches in class during Black History Month. ... Read more

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A biography of the author, civil rights leader, and co-founder of the NAACP who blazed a trail for racial equality and human rights through his songs, poems, speeches, and other writings. ... Read more

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A biography of the lawyer, poet, editor, and musician who helped found the NAACP. ... Read more

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A poetic retelling of the creation story from Genesis, by a distinguished African-American poet and preacher, describes the making of the heavens and the earth, from the first light, to the coming of the animals, to the creation of humankind. ... Read more

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This scarce antiquarian book is a selection from Kessinger Publishing's Legacy Reprint Series. Due to its age, it may contain imperfections such as marks, notations, marginalia and flawed pages. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment to protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature. Kessinger Publishing is the place to find hundreds of thousands of rare and hard-to-find books with something of interest for everyone! ... Read more

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A volume of beauty and power, a record of black excellence that will engage and inform, this portfolio constitutes a stunning celebration of African American achievement in the 20th century. Arranged chronologically, each image "demonstrates how the achievements of one generation are extended and magnified through the achievements of succeeding generations." 83 photorgaphs. ... Read more

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These classic essays by an important independent scholar cull the novels of the Afro-American writers James Weldon Johnson, W. E. B. Du Bois, Richard Wright, and Ralph Ellison for their political meanings and provide interpretations of experience that suggest political meanings. Starting with philosopher Robin Collingwood's notion that "the historian and novelist have much in common for both attempt to define the largest lines of historical development," Kostelanetz deduces themes in the fiction that are then interpreted as intellectual history, a wholly original approach which no other scholarly work treating these books has taken. ... Read more

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"The Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man" is James Weldon's Johnson fictional account of a light-skinned mulatto who can pass for white. The anonymous narrator is the son of a black mother and a white father living in the early part of the 20th century in the rural south, the urban north and in Europe. The novel masterfully explores the complexity of race relations between whites and blacks in America and the search for racial identity by one of mixed ethnicity. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (21)

Should be required reading in school
For a long time I've often wondered why anyone would want to be white (not being one myself).I never had the desire.I know what it feels like to be discriminated against simply because of my ethnicity.These days, there are so many people of mixed blood, and yet a person with one white parent and one black parent is still considered black, always wondered why.This book doesn't explain that but it brings up a lot of things to think about.And it might start a serious, deep discussion about what it actually means to be white, or to be black, etc., why must we categorized our ethnicity?He doesn't make excuses for himself, he doesn't shift the blame to anyone but himself.He takes full responsibility for what happens to himself.Which is refreshing.And you can understand why he chooses what he does in the end (especially given the time period the book was written in).I ended up feeling sad that he has given up half of who he is, half of his own history, half of his ancestry, and that his kids will miss out on that delight too.I still don't understand that mental problem people about one drop of non-white blood excludes you from being considered white, just makes no sense to me.Blood is blood.And these days, if you've ever had a transfusion, you might be getting blood for some other race.Anyway, the book brings up some good things to think about, to talk about, to explore a little further with people not of your own race just to see from their perspective.

Excellent
A powerful little novel, packs a lot of substantive issues into a tight and thoughtful narrative.

There are three main things this work tackles:

1] Exploration of racist conditions in early 20th century United States. Quiet but potent, such a scenario inevitably causes us to what's shifted from this account, and then what hasn't. For a portion of the book this issue seemed almost too light, too much a matter of verbal prejudice rather than more fundamental realities--but it came full force near the ending, with a vivid narration of a lynching.

2] Debate concerning such racism. Here the work is less succesful, and seems to a greater extent dated and less useful. The larger approach is credible enough but the exploration of racism as a component of southern pride and regional nationalism feels incomplete. The arguments analyzed here are major racist tenets, but they don't get at some of major overlapping motifs behind abhorrence. Even more deficient are the counter arguments against racist definitions of blacks and black culture. The intent is certainly laudable, but the actual speeches given--largely pointing to black music as a self-evident sign of accomplishment rather than degradation--miss a lot and close the book on assessment in a way I doubt was applicable even in the author's time.

3] Attempted opting out of this issue. This element is where the book shines, showing the systemically inhumane treatment of blacks, and the ambivalent and muddled human response to this. Faced with long odds and no prospects of racial equality, the protagonist chooses--as the title indicates--to pass as white and give up efforts for a wider struggle. Not an heroic choice, but eminently understandable, and puts a far more tangible face on the many characters real and fictional who did sacrifice deeply in a question for human justice.

Everything was great !
This product I received it in a timely matter.The book was in perfect condition.The only thing I do not like is the print is VERY small so it makes two pages seem like a whole chapter.I don't know if it is just that edition, but the print is small.It seems interesting so far so hopefully I can get through it. Great product. Lovely story.

Autobiography of An Ex-Colored Man Review
The Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man is a insightful and captivating story that examines and explores what race relations in the early twentieth century where like. It is told though the eyes of a biracial man as he sets out on a journey across the world to find his self identity and place in the world. My favorite thing about the book was that when the main character travels around the world. The locations and people have such lively and colorful descriptions they almost seemed real.
The book was written in 1912 by James Weldon Johnson who wrote the book as if it was a factual biography. The story never really happened, but is written with such great detail and depth it feels like could have happened. This book is a must read for anyone who enjoys reading historical fiction.

Mrs. Sage's Class

Greg

Autobiography of an ex-colored man
This was a really enlightening read.It prompts the question back in the day if you could "pass" would you?I enjoyed it. ... Read more

Product Description
A treasured collection of sheet music and commentary on the greatest spirituals of all time.

In two elegant and masterly prefaces, James Weldon Johnson discusses the origin and history of more than 120 of the most significant spirituals known. Favorites like "Swing Low Sweet Chariot," "Deep River," and "Go Down, Moses" are arranged for voice and piano by his brother, J. Rosamond Johnson, and considered within their African tradition. ... Read more

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James Weldon Johnson is the editor of The Book of American Negro Poetry. Johnson compiled this work because it was his belief that a group of people is not known for their greatness until their art and literature is known. Johnson believed that the status of the American Negro would be improved by making their literature known to the general public. The following is a list of poets included in this collection. Paul Dunbar, James, Campbell, James Corrothers, Daniel Davis, William Moore, W E DuBois, George McClellan, William Braithwaite, George Margetson, James Johnson, John Holloway, Leslie Hill, Ray Dandridge, Edward Jones, FentonJohnson, R Nathaniel Dett, Georgia Johnson, Claude McKay, Joseph Cotter Jr., Roscoe Jamison, Jessie Fauset, Anne Spencer, Alex Rogers, Alice Dunbar-Nelson, Charles Johnson, Otto Bohanan, Theodore Shackleford, Lucian Watkins, Benjamin Brawley, and Joshua Jones Jr. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Glad to have found this again
I came across this book some thirty years ago while in high school.To this day, there are poems from the book I remember.They are simply beautiful and the poets who wrote them artistic beyond measure.I, sadly, understand why we were not introduced to this book when I was young...a white child in an 99.9% white school and having been chastised for reading a 'black' book...but nowadays, children should be shown the wonderful works by these great poets, not have to find them by accident like I did. ... Read more

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This digital document, covering the life and work of James Weldon Johnson, is an entry from Contemporary Authors, a reference volume published by Thompson Gale. The length of the entry is 4244 words. The page length listed above is based on a typical 300-word page. Although the exact content of each entry from this volume can vary, typical entries include the following information:

• Place and date of birth and death (if deceased)
• Family members
• Education
• Professional associations and honors
• Employment
• Writings, including books and periodicals
• A description of the author's work
• References to further readings about the author

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418 Pagers of Text and Photographs ... Read more