June 18, 2009 - Augustus Straker Bar Association: 16th Trailblazer Dinner PI (II) Banquet Hall 28847 Frankin, Southfield Mi

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Lift ev’ry voice and sing
Till earth and heaven ring,
Ring with the harmonies of Liberty;
Let our rejoicing rise
High as the listening skies,
Let it resound loud as the rolling sea.
Sing a song full of the faith that the dark past has taught us,
Sing a song full of the hope that the present has brought us,
Facing the rising sun of our new day begun
Let us march on till victory is won.

Excerpt from “Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing,” written by James Weldon Johnson in 1900, to celebrate Abraham Lincoln’s birthday. Among Johnson’s many achievements, he was the first African-American lawyer to be admitted to the Florida Bar (1897) since Reconstruction. He practiced law in Jacksonville for several years while continuing to serve as a principal of a school. He later went on to serve as Executive Secretary of the NAACP in 1920. He is credited with using legal action, political pressure and publicity to coordinate the most effective movement against racism of the time.