James Weldon Johnson Foundation

James Weldon Johnson Foundation James Weldon Johnson history and legacy

In 1956, a young man bought a car from a woman who signed her name “Grace Nail.”It took him seventy years to learn who s...
10/03/2026

In 1956, a young man bought a car from a woman who signed her name “Grace Nail.”

It took him seventy years to learn who she was.

Bruce Wood spotted the old Ford during a summer job in Great Barrington and left a note on it. A year later, a letter came.

He paid $150 for a 1928 Model A Ford Phaeton. She said it had been a birthday gift from her husband. Bruce named the car “Grace.”

Who could afford a brand-new car as a gift in 1928? He searched. He found nothing.

Decades later, at a concert, a choir sang “Lift Every Voice and Sing.” The choir leader spoke about the man who wrote it, James Weldon Johnson, and his wife, Grace Nail Johnson.

Bruce had his answer.

This summer, he knocked on our door. His story led us to Cape Cod, a paper trail from 1956 to today, and Grace’s Ford, beautifully restored.

The full story is at the link in our bio.

09/12/2026

Each year, the James Weldon Johnson Foundation awards the James Weldon Johnson Fellowship in the Arts to established, mid-career, and emerging visual artists, writers, scholars, and creative thinkers. Fellows spend a two-week residency at Five Acres in Great Barrington, Massachusetts, with access to state-of-the-art studio space in the Berkshire Mountains.

James Weldon Johnson was an author, poet, lyricist, novelist, songwriter, playwright, educator, attorney, diplomat, journalist, activist, civil rights pioneer, public intellectual, and cultural ambassador. Across every role, one conviction held: the belief in human dignity and voice. The program honors that remarkable legacy: social equity, creative artistic expression, erudition, social justice, and community engagement.

Fellows receive a $1,000 stipend, meals in Great Barrington, and full access to the Berkshires’ amenities.

A serene and historical setting. Artist studios. A community built on creativity, collaboration, and connection.

Visit our website to learn more: jamesweldonjohnson.org

CreativeCommunity

09/02/2026

TUCKERNUCK AVENUE | WABAN PARK

So here we are at Waban Park, directly across the street from the Inkwell, on Tuckernuck Avenue.

This is more than just a beautiful street.

It is a street with a legacy of excellence.

During the 1960s, descendants of the Johnson family—including the family of J. Rosamond Johnson and his daughter, Mildred—purchased a home right here on Tuckernuck Avenue.

J. Rosamond Johnson was one of America’s great composers and songwriters.

126 years ago, in 1900, he and his brother, James Weldon Johnson, created a song that would become known as “Lift Every Voice and Sing.”

What began as a poem and then pivoted to a song and became a hymn with a prescient original title "National Hymn"

So as we sit, stand and walk at Waban Park, across from the Inkwell, we’re not simply looking at a street.

We’re standing in a place where history, family, music, and the continuing story of America all come together.

And the Johnson family is just one of many Black families whose presence helped give this block its significance.

Over the years, this neighborhood has become a destination—a place of history, culture, and notoriety.

And standing here, it is important to remember the remarkable legacy of the Johnson family.


Legacy of Excellence - Tuckernuck Avenue Link:
https://youtu.be/80oNL0Ci9lo?is=3UAbtC_hfbi9VwIm

09/02/2026

WABAN PARK

So here we are at Waban Park, directly across the street from the Inkwell, on Tuckernuck Avenue.

This is more than just a beautiful street.

It is a street that holds history.

During the 1960s, descendants of the Johnson family—including the family of J. Rosamond Johnson and his daughter, Mildred—purchased a home right here on Tuckernuck Avenue.

J. Rosamond Johnson was one of America’s great composers and songwriters.

126 years ago, in 1900, he and his brother, James Weldon Johnson, created a song that would become known as “Lift Every Voice and Sing.”

What began as a poem and then pivoted to a song and became a hymn with a prescient original title "National Hymn"

So as we sit, stand and walk at Waban Park, across from the Inkwell, we’re not simply looking at a street.

We’re standing in a place where history, family, music, and the continuing story of America all come together.

And the Johnson family is just one of many Black families whose presence helped give this block its significance.

Over the years, this neighborhood has become a destination—a place of history, culture, and notoriety.

And standing here, it is important to remember the remarkable legacy of the Johnson family.


Legacy of Excellence - Tuckernuck Avenue Link:
https://youtu.be/80oNL0Ci9lo?is=3UAbtC_hfbi9VwIm

08/27/2026

"National Hymn" lyrics by James James Weldon Johnson and melody by J. Rosamond Johnson, copyright 1900, with its iconic first line, "Lift Every Voice and Sing."

08/25/2026

In 1900, James Weldon Johnson's "National Hymn" aka "Lift Every Voice and Sing" was first performed by 500 schoolchildren in Jacksonville, FL. Nearly five years ago, Congressman Jim Clyburn put forth an effort to introduce legislation establishing “Lift Every Voice and Sing” as the official National Hymn of the United States.

For years, we've joined choirs, classrooms, congregations, and communities everywhere in the quiet work of keeping a 126...
08/13/2026

For years, we've joined choirs, classrooms, congregations, and communities everywhere in the quiet work of keeping a 126-year-old hymn alive and growing. This summer, our part of that work reached further than ever. 🎶

We advance the legacy of a true Renaissance man: lawyer, poet, novelist, lyricist, diplomat, educator, journalist, civil rights pioneer, and activist who wrote "Lift Every Voice and Sing" and a driving force behind the Harlem Renaissance.

This June, 140+ people gathered at our home, Five Acres, nearly double last year 👏 In July, the Du Bois Forum returned to Great Barrington, and we spent a day inside Yale's Beinecke Library uncovering never-before-seen material on Johnson's life.

One of our summer highlights: donor Bruce Bernstein visited Five Acres for the first time in June. By July, he came back with nearly 40 people in tow: his swim team, book club, and friends. In his words: "So few people know this part of the history of Great Barrington, and I'm very glad a few more people will learn about it." 🙌

This hymn has always been bigger than any one of us, sung at marches, an inauguration, and Super Bowl halftimes. This summer it found a new medium: our silk scarf collaboration with Bee Blunt Studio, with part of the proceeds supporting our work.

Next up: a ch*****ne brunch with Bee Blunt on Martha's Vineyard, August 19.

Link in bio for more 💛

Rufus Elmer Jones Jr.

It's here. Announcing the Lift Every Voice Scarf, our collaboration with Bee Blunt.We gave the Bee Blunt team access to ...
08/04/2026

It's here.

Announcing the Lift Every Voice Scarf, our collaboration with Bee Blunt.

We gave the Bee Blunt team access to James Weldon Johnson's original handwritten manuscript of "Lift Every Voice and Sing," the National Hymn, and they let it guide every stitch. The result is a design that turns one of the most powerful works in Black American history into wearable art.

Crafted from 100% silk and limited-edition, this is more than an accessory. It's a collector's item, a piece of the legacy made to be worn, cherished, and passed down.

25% of every purchase supports our Foundation, helping us preserve and celebrate this history for generations to come.

Shop now: https://www.beeblunt.com/home/Lift-Every-Voice-Scarf-p839676368

Tag us James Weldon Johnson Foundation and Bee Blunt Studio when yours arrives, we want to see (and share) every one.

Every scarf worn is a voice lifted.

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Great Barrington, MA

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