Not all subjects of proposed US commemorative coins are immediately recognized by the general public. Case in point, the commemorative coin program to honor James Weldon Johnson.
James Weldon Johnson.- Circa 1932
No slight against Mr. Johnson, but he did/does not have the same "name brand" recognition as George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, Abraham Lincoln or the Lions Club International. (At least not in my sphere of knowledge.) For example, he was never a topic covered during any of my school classes in history.
That's not to say, however, that Johnson did not have a noteworthy place wihin the annals of American history. The Findings section of the 2022 bill proposing a three-coin commemorative program for Johnson certainly highlights a life full of accomplishments.
"FINDINGS:
"(1) James Weldon Johnson was born on June 17, 1871, in Jacksonville, Florida, to a Bahamian mother, Helen Louise Dillet, and African-American father, James Johnson. He had a younger brother, John Rosamund Johnson. His mother had a large influence on his interest in literature and music.
"(2) At the age of 16, James Weldon Johnson enrolled at Atlanta University, now Clark Atlanta University, a historically Black college, and graduated in 1894.
"(3) James Weldon Johnson returned to Jacksonville following his graduation, where he served as principal of the Stanton School. He expanded the school to include Florida's first high school for African Americans, which opened in 1898.
"(4) In 1895, James Weldon Johnson started the Daily American, Florida's first African-American newspaper.
"(5) During this period, James Weldon Johnson was admitted to the Florida Bar in 1897. He became the first African American to pass the Florida Bar since the Reconstruction Era ended.
"(6) In 1899, James Weldon Johnson wrote the poem "Lift Every Voice and Sing" to honor Abraham Lincoln's birthday. His brother, John Rosamund Johnson, composed the music to turn it into a song. In 1919, the National Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) designated the song as the "Negro National Anthem".
"(7) As part of the Great Migration, James Weldon Johnson and John Rosamund Johnson moved to Harlem, New York. They became composers for Broadway shows and later became integral figures of the Harlem Renaissance.
"(8) After winning the election, in 1906, President Theodore Roosevelt appointed James Weldon Johnson as U.S. Consul in Venezuela. In 1909, he was appointed as U.S. Consul in Nicaragua by President William Taft.
"(9) Following his diplomatic service, James Weldon Johnson became a field secretary for the NAACP in 1916. In 1920, he became the first African-American Executive Secretary for the NAACP, where he helped increase membership, create new chapters, and organize Civil Rights movements across the country.
"(10) James Weldon Johnson represented the NAACP as the chief Congressional lobbyist to encourage passage of the Representative Leonidas Dyer anti-lynching bill. This bill went on to pass the U.S. House of Representatives in 1922 but failed in the U.S. Senate due to the filibuster.
"(11) In 1930, after serving 10 years in the NAACP, James Weldon Johnson accepted an offer to become the Spence Chair of Creative Literature and Writing at Fisk University, a historically black college in Nashville, Tennessee.
"(12) In 1934, James Weldon Johnson was hired as the first Black professor at New York University, where he taught Creative Literature and Education.
"(13) James Weldon Johnson was an accomplished novelist and poet. He released several poetry collections and novels, among his most popular pieces of literature were God's Trombones: Seven Negro Sermons in Verse and The Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man.
"(14) James Weldon Johnson passed away suddenly in 1938. His funeral was held in Harlem, New York, where over 2,000 people attended.
(15) James Weldon Johnson's excellence revolutionized literature, music, education, politics, and law. His fearlessness to fight for equality created pathways for African Americans to proudly pursue their aspirations."The coin proposal was first introduced in the 117th Congress (April 2022) by Alfred Lawson Jr. (D-FL) for himself and co-sponsors Steve Cohen (D-TN) and Al Green (D-TX). The bill was immediately referred to the House Committee on Financial Services.
The bill called for the striking of up to 50,000 Gold Half Eagles, up to 400,000 Silver Dollars and up to 750,000 Copper-Nickel (CuNi) Clad Half Dollars. All were standard/legislated quantities for contemporary modern commemorative coin programs.
No specific design requirements were included other than a general statement that the coin designs "shall be emblematic of James Weldon Johnson."
The Issue Price of each coin was to include the typical surcharge:
- $35 per coin for the Gold Half Eagle
- $10 per coin for the Silver Dollar, and
- $5 per coin for the CuNi Clad Half Dollar.
The collected surcharges were to be divided between four recipient organizations:
1) Marshall-Motley Scholars Program (28.33%)
2) Stanton College Preparatory School (28.33%)
3) National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) 28.33%); and
4) James Weldon Johnson Foundation (15%).
The surcharge funds were to be used for the "strengthening educational outcomes for students, with a focus on students of color, and supporting social justice efforts."
The bill was not reported out of Committee and failed to gain traction.
Later in 2022 (June), Representative Lawson re-introduced the bill with notable changes that included:
- reducing the three-coin program to one calling for just a Silver Dollar (up to 400,000)
- changing the year of issue from "2024" to "2025", and
- changing the surcharge beneficiary organizations. The new (reduced) roster:
1) Historic Stanton, Inc., and
2) James Weldon Johnson Foundation
The funds were to be split 50/50 between the two and used for the same general purposes as before, but the stated support for "social justice efforts" was removed. (Removal of a potentially controversial specification?) The Silver Dollar surcharge continued to be $10 per coin.
While it did secure more co-sponsors (22 vs. 2), Lawson's second bill also failed to be reported out of Committee and died for lack of action when the 117th Congress adjourned.
IMO, the second, more modest proposal was more appropriate for the subject. The fact that it didn't gain more widespread support in Congress might have been tied to the lack of general public awareness regarding James Weldon Johnson. For better or worse, the value of name recognition in promotion can't be denied.
As the coin was more of a "Lifetime Achievement" award vs. recognition of a specific milestone anniversary, it's always possible that a James Weldon Johnson coin bill could resurface. Alfred Lawson, however, is no longer serving in the US Congress, as such a coin bill would have to be sponsored by another,
For more of my topics on commemorative coins and medals, including other What If? stories, see:
Commems Collection.
Posted 12/23/2024 11:24 am
