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James Weldon Johnson Quotes

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James Weldon Johnson was an American author, poet, musician, and civil rights activist. He is known for his poetry, novels, and musical compositions, and was a significant figure in the American civil rights movement.

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Famous James Weldon Johnson Quotes

“A great wave of humiliation and shame swept over me. Shame that I belonged to a race that could be so dealt with; and shame for my country, that it, the great example of democracy to the world, should be the only civilized, if not the only state on earth, where a human being would be burned alive.”

Source: The Selected Writings of James Weldon Johnson: Social, political, and literary essays

“I do not see how a people that can find in its conscience any excuse whatever for slowly burning to death a human being, or for tolerating such an act, can be entrusted with the salvation of a race.”

People Humans Human Beings Race Conscience Salvation Excuse Burning

Book:The Selected Writings of James Weldon Johnson: Social, political, and literary essays

Source: The Selected Writings of James Weldon Johnson: Social, political, and literary essays

“The battle was first waged over the right of the Negro to be classed as a human being with a soul; later, as to whether he had sufficient intellect to master even the rudiments of learning; and today it is being fought out over his social recognition.”

Firsts Humans Soul Today Social Human Beings Masters Battle Intellect Recognition Sufficient

Book:The Selected Writings of James Weldon Johnson: Social, political, and literary essays

Source: The Selected Writings of James Weldon Johnson: Social, political, and literary essays