Written in 1900 by Jacksonville native James Weldon Johnson and set to music by his brother, J. Rosamond Johnson, the song was originally performed by schoolchildren right here in our city to commemorate Abraham Lincoln’s birthday.

Over time, it became an enduring anthem of strength, perseverance, faith, and hope for generations of African Americans. Its lyrics remind us of the struggles that have shaped our nation’s history, while also calling us to unity, courage, and continued progress.

As members of this community — in the very city where this song was born — we honor both its history and its message.



Born in 1865, the same year the Civil War ended, A.L. Lewis grew up in poverty. His family moved to Jacksonville when he was a child, and he left school early to help support them by working at a lumber mill. Even with limited opportunities, he never stopped pushing for a better future.

In 1901, Lewis became one of the seven founders of the Afro-American Life Insurance Company, a major Black-owned business during a time when African Americans were denied access to many financial services. He first served as treasurer and, in 1919, became the company’s president. Under his leadership, the company became a cornerstone of Jacksonville’s Black community and helped many families build stability and wealth.

A.L. Lewis went on to become one of Florida’s first Black millionaires, but what truly sets him apart is how he used his success. He was a humanitarian, philanthropist, and civil rights advocate who invested in his community. He founded Florida’s first Black-owned bottling company, helped create cemeteries for Jacksonville’s Black residents, and supported Historically Black Colleges and Universities across the South.

One of his greatest legacies is American Beach, founded in 1935 along with the Afro American Life Insurance Company. During segregation, when Black families were barred from many beaches and resorts, American Beach became a thriving vacation destination known for the motto: “Recreation without humiliation.” It quickly became a national hotspot, visited by icons such as Zora Neale Hurston, Cab Calloway, Ray Charles, Joe Louis, Ossie Davis, Hank Aaron, and many others.

A.L. Lewis transformed Jacksonville through vision, generosity, and leadership. His work created opportunities for thousands of African Americans and shaped the cultural history of Northeast Florida. As we celebrate Black History Month, A.L. Lewis reminds us that greatness comes not only from success but from using that success to uplift others.

Dr. White’s journey of excellence began early. While attending Florida A&M University, she made history as the first female member of the famous “Marching 100” band. In the early 1950s, marching bands were almost entirely male, so her achievement opened doors for generations of women in collegiate music programs. After earning her master’s degree in music from Columbia University, Dr. White returned to Jacksonville and dedicated 37 years to Duval County Public Schools. She became the county’s first female band director and later the first instrumental music coordinator, helping expand opportunities for music students across the district. Her passion for education shaped thousands of young musicians and strengthened music programs throughout the community.

Dr. White’s influence extended well beyond the classroom. She served in leadership roles with major civic organizations, including the Florida Commission on the Status of Women and the American Cancer Society, reflecting her lifelong commitment to public service.

On the national stage, Dr. White broke barriers once again. In 1998, she became the 25th International President of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.—the first president from the state of Florida. Under her leadership, the sorority launched the “Blazing New Trails” initiative, focusing on health, family support, leadership development, economic empowerment, and the arts. She is also part of the first mother daughter International President duo in AKA history.

Her hometown has honored her legacy with a historical marker and the naming of the Dr. Norma Ruth Solomon White Parkway—a rare tribute for someone still living at the time of the dedication. She also contributed to The History Makers, the nation’s largest African American oral history archive, preserving her story for future generations. Dr. White’s life shows the power of breaking barriers, serving others, and leading with purpose. From music halls to classrooms to national leadership, she transformed institutions and opened pathways for Black women across the country.

Toni Morrison was born Chloe Ardelia Wofford in 1931 in Lorain, Ohio. Growing up in a working-class family, she developed a love for reading, storytelling, and music at an early age. She excelled in school, studied English at Howard University, and earned a master’s degree from Cornell University.

Morrison became well known not only for her extraordinary novels, but also for the way she centered Black voices and experiences at a time when mainstream publishing rarely allowed them space. Her writing is known for its beautiful language, deep emotion, and unforgettable characters. Some of her most famous works include: Beloved – winner of the Pulitzer Prize, The Bluest Eye, Sula, and Song of Solomon – winner of the National Book Critics Circle Award

In 1993, Toni Morrison made history as the first Black woman to win the Nobel Prize in Literature—one of the highest honors any writer can receive. But Morrison didn’t just write books—she also shaped the world of literature from the inside. As an editor at Random House, she helped bring Black authors and Black stories into the spotlight, publishing works by Angela Davis, Muhammad Ali, Toni Cade Bambara, and many others. Through her editing and writing, she played a major role in building the modern canon of Black American literature.

Later in life, Morrison became a professor at Princeton university, inspiring a new generation of writers and thinkers. Even after gaining global recognition, she continued to speak boldly about storytelling, identity, racism, and the importance of protecting creative freedom.

Toni Morrison passed away in 2019 at the age of 88, but her legacy continues to influence authors, classrooms, and readers around the world. Her books are studied in schools, adapted into films and plays, and celebrated for their beauty, honesty, and power. Toni Morrison showed us that words matter—and that telling our stories can shape history.

Bessie Coleman was born in 1892 in Waxahachie, Texas, during the Jim Crow era. Despite these challenges, she grew up determined, hardworking, and known for her strong academic skills.

After moving to Chicago as a young woman, Bessie became fascinated with the idea of flying. But every aviation school in the United States rejected her because she was both Black and female. Instead of giving up, she took French classes, saved money, and traveled to France. In 1921, she made history by becoming the first American woman to earn an international pilot’s license—and the first Black woman in the world to become a licensed pilot.

When she returned to the United States, Coleman became famous for performing daring stunts in air shows. Crowds loved her fearless flying, and she used her platform to inspire young people and push for equality. She refused to perform at any event that discriminated against African Americans, even when it meant losing money.

Bessie Coleman also has a special connection to Jacksonville. In 1926, while practicing for an airshow at Paxon Airfield, a mechanical failure caused a tragic accident that took her life. Today, the site is home to Paxon School for Advanced Studies, which proudly displays a memorial honoring her legacy.

Coleman spent her life proving that no barrier, whether gender, race, or poverty, could stop her from achieving her dreams. Her goal was to open a flight school for African Americans, giving others the opportunities she never had.

Her courage, resilience, and groundbreaking achievements continue to inspire students, aviators, and dreamers around the world.  Bessie Coleman once said: “I made up my mind to try. I tried and was successful.”

Augusta Savage was a groundbreaking sculptor and art teacher from Green Cove Springs, Florida, who overcame poverty, racism, and sexism to become one of the most important artists of the Harlem Renaissance. Even though her parents discouraged her from making art, Savage kept creating and eventually won a prize at a county fair that helped send her to New York to study.

In Harlem, Savage became a well-known sculptress because she centered Black life and culture in her work. Savage opened the first gallery dedicated to Black art, taught more than 2,500 students for free, and mentored future famous artists like Jacob Lawrence and Romare Bearden. Her most famous piece, Lift Every Voice and Sing—a 16-foot sculpture inspired by the Black National Anthem—was created for the 1939 World’s Fair and seen by millions. Although the sculpture was later destroyed, a visual replica can be seen on a building on Hogan Street in downtown Jacksonville.

Augusta Savage is remembered as a fearless artist, educator, and activist who fought for Black artists to be seen, valued, and included in the art world.

B.B. King, who was born Riley B. King in 1925 in the small town of Itta Bena, Mississippi, in the Mississippi Delta.

Despite the hardships of his early life, including losing his mother and grandmother at a young age, King found comfort and purpose in music. King learned guitar from a local minister and began performing on street corners for spare change, slowly building the skills that would one day make him a legend.

As a teenager, King hitchhiked to Memphis, a major center for Black music, where his career truly began. A radio spot on WDIA gave King his first big break, and by the early 1950s he was recording hits like “Three O’ Clock Blues,” which launched him into national touring.

Fame for King exploded in the late 1960s when rock musicians such as Eric Clapton and Buddy Guy praised him as a major influence.

In 1969 King’s hit “The Thrill Is Gone” became a crossover success, introducing millions of new listeners to the blues. King was known for his signature guitar style—full of bending notes, emotional vibrato, and soulful phrasing—which became instantly recognizable and inspired generations of musicians.

King performed around the world, from Europe to Africa to Japan, spreading American blues across the globe. King earned numerous awards, including multiple Grammys, the Presidential Medal of Arts, and inductions into both the Blues Foundation Hall of Fame and the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

When B.B. King passed away in 2015 at age 89, he left behind a legacy as the “King of the Blues”

The LaVilla neighborhood in Jacksonville is the birthplace of one of the city’s most accomplished figures: James Weldon Johnson.

Mr. Johnson achieved many firsts in his life:

He became Florida’s first African American lawyer after Reconstruction and later served as the principal of Stanton High School, where he helped turn it into the state's first Black public high school.

He also worked internationally as a U.S. Consul in Venezuela and Nicaragua, and he eventually became the first African American leader of the NAACP.

In addition to his leadership roles, he was a respected college professor and a talented writer.

He became an important voice during the Harlem Renaissance.

• His most famous work, the poem “Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing,” was first performed at the Historic Stanton School on February 12th, 1900.

• Today, “Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing, is known as the Black National Anthem.