Rudolph P. Byrd, professor of American studies at Emory University, discusses his new book, *The Essential Writings of James Weldon Johnson*. Johnson (1871-1938) was a novelist, poet, ethno-musicologist and one of the pioneering figures of the Harlem Renaissance.
Rudolph P. Byrd was educated at Lewis & Clark College and Yale University, he held faculty appointments at Carleton College and at the University of Delaware before joining the faculty of Emory University in 1991. He is the author and editor of seven books.