James Weldon Johnson citations

James Weldon Johnson était un écrivain et poète américain. Militant de la cause des Noirs américains, il fut l'une des principales personnalités de la renaissance de Harlem. Il fut également le premier professeur noir de l'université de New York.

James Weldon Johnson est né à Jacksonville et fit ses études à l'université d'Atlanta jusqu'en 1896. Il dirigea la Stanton College Preparatory School, une école pour noirs-américains à Jacksonville, jusqu'en 1906. Puis il partit s'installer à New York, et fut nommé consul au Venezuela puis au Nicaragua. Il se fit connaître en publiant des poèmes dans le Century Magazine et The Independent. Il participa à la NAACP de 1920 à 1931. Il sortit en 1922 The Book of American Negro Poetry. Il mourut en 1938 à Wiscasset, lorsque sa voiture heurta un train. Ses funérailles à Harlem réunirent plusieurs milliers de personnes. Wikipedia  

✵ 17. juin 1871 – 26. juin 1938
James Weldon Johnson photo
James Weldon Johnson: 23   citations 0   J'aime

James Weldon Johnson: Citations en anglais

“Every race and every nation should be judged by the best it has been able to produce, not by the worst.”

James Weldon Johnson livre The Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man

The Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man, ch. 10.

“The glory of the day was in her face,
The beauty of the night was in her eyes.”

The Glory of the Day Was in Her Face, st. 1 (1917).

“The colored people of this country know and understand the white people better than the white people know and understand them.”

James Weldon Johnson livre The Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man

The Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man, ch. 2 (1912).

“And God stepped out on space,
And He looked around and said,
"I'm lonely—
I'll make me a world."”

The Creation, st. 1.
God's Trombones: Seven Negro Sermons in Verse (1927)

“With his head in his hands,
God thought and thought,
Till he thought: I'll make me a man!”

The Creation, st. 10.
God's Trombones: Seven Negro Sermons in Verse (1927)

“Find Sister Caroline…
And she's tired—
She's weary—
Go down, Death, and bring her to me.”

Go Down, Death, st. 5.
God's Trombones: Seven Negro Sermons in Verse (1927)

“Young man—Young man—Your arm’s too short to box with God.”

The Prodigal Son.
God's Trombones: Seven Negro Sermons in Verse (1927)

“And God smiled again,
And the rainbow appeared,
And curled itself around his shoulder.”

The Creation, st. 7.
God's Trombones: Seven Negro Sermons in Verse (1927)