On June 17th, 1871, a little baby boy named James Weldon Johnson was born in Jacksonville, Florida.

Little James had some great parents. His mom was a teacher born in the Bahamas, and his dad was the headwaiter of a hotel. Together, they gave little James a supported and loving childhood.

Life in Florida was hard for little James and his family. Some people thought James' skin made him evil.

James' parents showed him the stars one night. They told him that the world goes on forever, and that he deserved a place in it. They told him the world was his, and that it didn't matter what other people said.

One day, little James woke up and he was as big and tall as his dad. He wasn't little James anymore, he was just James!

Welcome to Atlanta University!

James soon left for college. He headed to study at Atlanta University, beginning his journey to the stars.

After graduating from Atlanta University, James headed back to his hometown and did many great things. He made his own high school and started a newspaper, all while studying to be a lawyer.

Newspaper

Lesson plan:

In 1897, at the age of 28, James became the first African-American man to pass the bar exam in Florida.

I'm a lawyer now! Yay!

James wanted to try some other things out, so he moved to New York City to try out songwriting and politics.