James Weldon Johnson Commemorative Coin Act

To require the Secretary of the Treasury to mint commemorative coins in recognition of James Weldon Johnson. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the James Weldon Johnson Commemorative Coin Act 2. Findings The Congress finds the following: (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 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 House of Representatives in 1922, but failed in the 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. 3. Coin specifications (a) Denominations The Secretary of the Treasury (hereafter in this Act referred to as the Secretary (1) $5 gold coins Not more than 50,000 $5 coins, which shall— (A) weigh 8.359 grams; (B) have a diameter of 0.850 inches; and (C) contain not less than 90-percent gold. (2) $1 silver coins Not more than 400,000 $1 coins, which shall— (A) weigh 26.73 grams; (B) have a diameter of 1.500 inches; and (C) contain not less than 90-percent silver. (3) Half-dollar clad coins Not more than 750,000 half-dollar coins which shall— (A) weigh 11.34 grams; (B) have a diameter of 1.205 inches; and (C) be minted to the specifications for half-dollar coins contained in section 5112(b) of title 31, United States Code. (b) Legal tender The coins minted under this Act shall be legal tender, as provided in section 5103 of title 31, United States Code. (c) Numismatic items For purposes of sections 5134 and 5136 of title 31, United States Code, all coins minted under this Act shall be considered to be numismatic items. 4. Design of coins (a) Design requirements (1) In general The design for the coins minted under this Act shall be emblematic of James Weldon Johnson. (2) Designations and inscriptions On each coin minted under this Act, there shall be— (A) a designation of the denomination of the coin; (B) an inscription of the year 2024 (C) inscriptions of the words Liberty In God We Trust United States of America E Pluribus Unum (b) Selection The design for the coins minted under this Act shall be— (1) selected by the Secretary in consultation with the Commission of Fine Arts; and (2) reviewed by the Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee. 5. Issuance of coins (a) Quality of coins Coins minted under this Act shall be issued in uncirculated and proof qualities. (b) Period for issuance The Secretary may issue coins minted under this Act only during the 1-year period beginning on January 1, 2024. 6. Sale of coins (a) Sale price The coins issued under this Act shall be sold by the Secretary at a price based upon the sum of— (1) the face value of the coins; (2) the surcharge provided in section 7(a) with respect to such coins; and (3) the cost of designing and issuing the coins (including labor, materials, dies, use of machinery, overhead expenses, marketing, and shipping). (b) Bulk sales The Secretary shall make bulk sales of the coins issued under this Act at a reasonable discount. (c) Prepaid orders (1) In general The Secretary shall accept prepaid orders for the coins minted under this Act before the issuance of such coins. (2) Discount Sale prices with respect to prepaid orders under paragraph (1) shall be at a reasonable discount. 7. Surcharges (a) In general All sales of coins minted under this Act shall include a surcharge as follows: (1) A surcharge of $35 per coin for the $5 coin. (2) A surcharge of $10 per coin for the $1 coin. (3) A surcharge of $5 per coin for the half-dollar coin. (b) Distribution Subject to section 5134(f) of title 31, United States Code, all surcharges received by the Secretary from the sale of coins issued under this Act shall be promptly paid as follows, for the purpose of strengthening educational outcomes for students, with a focus on students of color, and supporting social justice efforts: (1) 85 percent, divided equally between— (A) the Marshall-Motley Scholars Program; (B) the Stanton College Preparatory School; and (C) the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). (2) 15 percent to the James Weldon Johnson Foundation. 8. Financial assurances The Secretary shall take such actions as may be necessary to ensure that— (1) minting and issuing coins under this Act will not result in any net cost to the United States Government; and (2) no funds, including applicable surcharges, are disbursed to the recipient designated in section 7 until the total cost of designing and issuing all of the coins authorized by this Act (including labor, materials, dies, use of machinery, overhead expenses, marketing, and shipping) is recovered by the United States Treasury, consistent with sections 5112(m) and 5134(f) of title 31, United States Code.

Summary: James Weldon Johnson Commemorative Coin Act This bill directs the Department of the Treasury to mint and issue 50,000 $5 gold coins, 400,000 $1 silver coins, and 750,000 half-dollar clad coins emblematic of James Weldon Johnson, an influential writer, diplomat, educator, lawyer, and civil rights activist. All surcharges received by Treasury from the sale of such coins must be paid to the Marshall-Motley Scholars Program, the Stanton College Preparatory School, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, and the James Weldon Johnson Foundation.