NAACP A “New Day Begun,” 1998
James Weldon Johnson wrote the lyrics to “Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing” in 1900, while he was the principal of the Stanton School in Jacksonville, Florida. His brother, J. Rosamond Johnson, a gifted musician, wrote the music. The song was originally intended for a school celebration of Lincoln’s Birthday. Later adopted by the NAACP, it became known as the “Negro National Anthem.” Artist Frank Frazier borrows a line from the song—“Facing the rising sun of our new day begun”—for the title of this poster, which depicts an African festival. Created in 1998, the poster heralds the coming of a new era for the NAACP in the twenty-first century.
James Weldon Johnson wrote the lyrics to “Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing” in 1900, while he was the principal of the Stanton School in Jacksonville, Florida. His brother, J. Rosamond Johnson, a gifted musician, wrote the music. The song was originally intended for a school celebration of Lincoln’s Birthday. Later adopted by the NAACP, it became known as the “Negro National Anthem.” Artist Frank Frazier borrows a line from the song—“Facing the rising sun of our new day begun”—for the title of this poster, which depicts an African festival. Created in 1998, the poster heralds the coming of a new era for the NAACP in the twenty-first century.