Grace Nail Johnson

Grace Nail Johnson (February 27, 1885 – November 1, 1976) was an African-American civil rights activist and patron of the arts associated with the Harlem Renaissance, and wife of the writer and politician James Weldon Johnson. Johnson was the daughter of John Bennett Nail, a wealthy businessman and civil rights activist. She is known for her involvement with the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), the Heterodoxy Club, and many other African-American and feminist organizations. Johnson also supported and promoted African-American children's literature. Grace Elizabeth Nail was born on February 27, 1885, in New London, Connecticut. She was the second child of real estate developer John Bennett Nail (1853–1942) and Mary Frances Robinson (1858–1923). By the time Grace was born, the Nails had already become prominent members of the African-American elite of New York City. While the family was very involved with the Harlem community, their residence was in Brooklyn, where Grace would live for all her early life. The Nail family business began with a restaurant and hotel in New York City on Sixth Avenue which they called "Nail Brothers". They later opened another similar business in Washington D.C. which was known as "The Shakespeare House." Eventually, the Nails' business ventures expanded into real estate. Their real estate investments did well in the early twentieth century and by the time John Bennett Nail died, they owned five apartment complexes in Harlem. With their influence, the Nails opened Harlem real estate to many of the African-Americans who would drive the Harlem Renaissance in the 1920s. The Nails used their wealth to encourage and patronized various artists and civil rights activists. John Bennett Nail was an early member of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and was named the organization's first "Life Member." The Nails also participated in many artistic and intellectual circles in and out of Harlem.