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Notable People

Amelia E. Johnson

Johnson helped expand African American literature through her ground-breaking work as a novelist, poet, editor, and publisher during the late 19th century.
Amelia E. Johnson was born in Toronto, Canada, to William and Eleanor Doy Hall and was educated in Montreal. She later relocated to the United States and married the Rev. Dr. Harvey Johnson, pastor of Union Baptist Church.
Johnson became a prolific writer, editor, and publisher whose work focused on literature, religion, African American history, and racial uplift.
Amelia E Johnson portrait 140x180
She was particularly known for her poetry, which often reflected religious and moral themes, and for her advocacy of racial pride and self-help within the African American community.

Quick Facts

Born

1858
Toronto, Canada

Died

1922
United States

Occupation

Writer, Editor, and Publisher

Burial

Laurel Cemetery
Baltimore, MD
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Era

19th Century
KEY CONTRIBUTIONS

Pioneer

Johnson established The Joy, a monthly literary journal that promoted literature and intellectual engagement.

Publishing

Published one of the earliest children’s magazines devoted to African American history (1888)

Literary World

In 1890, Johnson wrote Clarence and Corinne, the second novel published by an African American woman. She later published The Hazeley Family (1894) and Martina Meriden.

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