James Weldon Johnson (1871-1938) was an African-American author, politician, diplomat, critic, journalist, poet, anthologist, educator, lawyer, songwriter, and early civil rights activist. Johnson is remembered best for his leadership within the NAACP, as well as for his writing, which includes novels, poems, and collections of folklore. He was also one of the first African-American professors at New York University. This photograph was taken in 1910 at the front gate of his parent's home in Jacksonville, Florida.