Fifth Grade
Worksheets
William H. Johnson
Caption: Self Portrait by William H. Johnson, 1934-1935
William H. Johnson overcame many obstacles on the road to becoming an artist. Born in poverty and slowed down by the prejudices of his day, he still achieved greatness. He became a leading artist in a movement called the Harlem Renaissance.
William was born in Florence, South Carolina, in 1901. His family was poor. Some believe that his father was an important white man, but he did not help his son. William's mother did her best to raise her family alone. She married another man later, but soon William's stepfather got hurt and could not work. His mother did cooking, washing, and ironing for white families to support the family. William was the oldest child and often helped with babysitting and with chores around the house.
William first became interested in art when he saw comic strips. A teacher saw him drawing pictures in the dirt and gave the young black artist some pencils and paper. Soon, he was copying comic strips. William decided to become an artist when he was a teenager. Even though he quit school to support his family, he soon decided to go to New York to study art. He attended the National Academy of Design, where he studied painting. His teacher, Charles Hawthorne, knew that William had a lot of talent. However, as a black artist, William would face many challenges in the United States.
