Zora Neale Hurston

1. Zora Neale Hurston ‘’I belong to no race nor time. I am the eternal feminine with its string of beads.’’

2. The Life Of Hurston • Born in Alabama on January 7th, 1891. • Daughter of two , former slaves, John and Lucy Ann Hurston. Her father was a preacher and her mother was a teacher. • At the age of 3, Zora’s family moved to Eatonville , Florida which was one of the first all-black towns in the US. • In 1897 , her father becomes the mayor of the town. • In 1904, her mother passed away and her father soon remarries. • Hurston is sent to a boarding school in Jacksonville, Florida. • Hurston becomes expelled from school because of her father’s failure to pay her tuition.

3. More on the Life of Hurston • In 1917, Hurston attendedMorgan College. • In 1918, she attended? Howard University, where she co-founded the university’s student newspaper. • In 1920, Zora earned an associates degree. • In 1927 ,she married the jazz musician, Herbert Sheen. Marriage ends 4 years later. • In 1928, she received her bachelors in anthropology at Barnard College where she was the only black student . • In 1939, she married Albert Price, who was way younger than her. Marriage lasts a couple of months. • Died in Florida on January 28th, 1960.

4. Hurston’s Career • Her writing career was influenced by her time spent living in Harlem in the 1920’s. • She published a collection of African-American folk tales , titled Mules and Men in 1935. • She worked with Langston Hughes on a play titled, ‘’ Mule-Bone: A Comedy of Negro Life’’, but it resulted in disagreements between both of them. • Her first novel , Jonah’s Gourd Vine was published in 1934. • While visiting Haiti, she wrote her famous novel, Their Eyes Were Watching God. • In 1942, she published her autobiography , Dust Tracks on a Road, which was successful. • Her career starts to go downhill when she is accused of molesting a 10 year-old boy in 1948. • A couple years later, she suffered from poor health and was living in a Welfare Home. She died poor and lonely.

5. Impact on Young People Today • Zora’s literary works tackle present day issues like the complexity of love. For example , in Their Eyes Were Watching God, Janie had to be with three men to finally know what true love is. • Zora’s own life experiences are reflected in her literary works , which appeals to young people today because she is not far from reality. • Every year in Eatonville, a festival named after Hurston is held every year with a unique theme set for each year. Her legacy still carries on through these festivals which displays her life and works. • Zora’s interest in her racial heritage sparked respect in young people today for her dedication and hard work . • Alice Walker was very inspired by Hurston so she helped revive interest for the famous writer . They both worked to give black women a voice in literature and in the world.