Connected James Weldon Johnson, Civil Rights Activist

Question

I signed up for the July 2021 US Black Heritage Project Notables and concentrated on connecting James Weldon Johnson [[Johnson-51685|James Weldon Johnson]] to the One Tree, who was an author, educator, lawyer, and Civil Rights activist.  I added at least 30 new profiles and came across many notables and interesting people!  

His brother, John Rosamond Johnson, was also very notable as a songwriter, composer, teacher, and actor.  James's niece, Mildred Johnson Edwards, was the founder and director of a prominent school in New York City.  She married Hedley V. Edwards [[Edwards-32309|Hedley V. Edwards]] as his second wife.  Mr. Edwards was quite famous as flamingo trainer who traveled throughout North America and the Caribbean with his flamingo brigade!  I certainly fell down that rabbit (er, flamingo?) hole reading articles about Mr. Edwards.

But it was through J. Rosamond Johnson's wife's family that I found the connection and more notables.  Nora E. Floyd's uncle was Silas Xavier Floyd.  He has his own Wikipedia page and was known as an educator, journalist, and preacher.  He traveled throughout Georgia and the southeast (maybe farther north too), giving speeches.  Silas's brother Frank seems to have traveled to Massachusetts (sometime between 1885 and 1905) and married a white woman named Evelyn Pearl Coons.  It was legal for interracial couples to marry in Massachusetts at that time.

I was able to connect this very extended family through Pearl (Coons) Floyd's mother, Anna Maria (Steinhover) Coons, who had family in upstate New York.

I'll probably continue to explore this fascinating family!  It's been so fun and satisfying to preserve their history.  It took me 7 months, but I did it! :)

Answer 1

Dear Lynnette,

   James Weldon Johnson and his brother John Rosemond Johnson were amazing men.  Their hymn "Lift Every Voice and Sing" is immensely popular.  It has been sung every year during the Blessed Absalom Jones feast day service at St John Divine cathedral in New York City.

     Thank you for spending your time to honor such deserving people.  -NGP

Comments

They are very deserving and amazing!  I am happy to honor them.

Answer 2

Amazing work! Thank you, Lynnette!

Comments

My pleasure!

Answer 3

Woo hoo! Nice work Lynette. Thanks so much for your hard work

Comments

It really was fun and satisfying to learn about them and add them to WT!

Answer 4

I remember reading God’s Trombones in my modern poetry class in 1969 and being totally blown away. Delighted to see this post! Good work!!

Comments

Thank you!

Answer 5

Wow, this is amazing! Thank you for such amazing work you've done, Lynnette. The Civil Rights Movement is one of the most important movements, and I'm interested in it myself, but now I don't have time for such deep exploration. Of course, I'm doing small research because I need it for my university task, but my time frames are limited, so I won't have time for such work you have done. But maybe in the future, because I've already started. For example, I found amazing info in the local archive, which I'll for sure use in writing, and on this webpage, I came across very interesting and informative civil rights movement essay examples, which helped me to understand what I can write about if I have such limitations. And also provided some ideas. And I hope that maybe after graduation, or even during my studies, I'll find time for something bigger, but for now, I can use that activity to get experience, and skills, knowledge.

And I wish you luck with further researches!

Comments

Thank you so much!  It was very interesting to work on!

Answer 6

Great job, Lynnette, thank you!

Comments

Thanks!