My appearance was always good and my ability to play on the piano, especially ragtime, which was then at the height of its vogue, made me a welcome guest.

Johnson is remembered best for his leadership within the NAACP as well as for his writing which includes novels poems and collections of folklore. James Weldon Johnson (June 17 1871 – June 26 1938) was an American author politician diplomat critic journalist poet anthologist educator lawyer songwriter and early civil rights activist.