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Born in a shotgun-style house on this stretch of land in 1871 and 1873, respectively, the Johnson brothers grew up in the Lavilla area of Jacksonville, Florida. Their home life was full of music and literature, and the brothers each became proficient in the arts—James Weldon was a writer, a key figure in the NAACP, and an educator, while his brother John was a musician and composer. After leaving Jacksonville after the Great Fire of 1901, the brothers became key figures in the Harlem Renaissance.
In 1900, James wrote a poem, “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” which his brother put to music. The song was first performed by 500 students at Stanton School, where James Weldon was the principal, in celebration of Abraham Lincoln’s birthday. The song was eventually adopted by the NAACP and became a prominent rallying cry during the civil rights movement in the 1950s and 60s.
In recognition of the historic and cultural significance of both the song and the brothers who wrote it the land where they were born and spent part of their childhood was preserved as a park. Designed by Walter Hood, the park incorporates elements of the Johnson brothers’ history and the lyrics of the song in large-scale art installations.