Zora Neale Hurston was born in 1891 and raised in Eatonville, Florida. She was the 5th of 8 children, both her parents formerly enslaved. In her adult life she would recount having a happy childhood living in a majority Black neighborhood.
In her early teens, Hurston’s mother passed away, changing her life completely. She would work odd jobs throughout her youth, unable to finish school. In 1901, Hurston changed her age from 26 to 16 to attend and graduate public school. She would go on to attend Howard University, founding The Hilltop, the school’s newspaper. She continued her higher education at Barnard College where she graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in anthropology in 1928.
A gifted writer, Hurston moved to New York and collaborated with fellow artists like Langston Hughes during the Harlem Renaissance. Combining elements from her culture and background in anthropology, Hurston’s writing was grounded in truth, capturing the essence of the American South. In her lifetime she would write dozens of short stories and novels like, Their Eyes Were Watching God, Mules and Men, and Barracoon among others.
Zora Neale Hurston was widely unrecognized during her lifetime, dying at the age of 69 and being laid to rest in an unmarked grave in Fort Pierce, Florida. 13 years following her death, a young Alice Walker found Hurston’s grave and placed a marker on it, beginning a new era of recognition.
Sankofa Impact honors Zora Neale Hurston for her contributions to literature and for shining a light on the lives of Black people in the 20th Century. Her hometown of Eatonville celebrates her legacy annually through the Zora! Festival of the Arts. Zora! Festival will take place this week and include interactive art, live performances, and work highlighting the contributions of Black culture in the U.S. and worldwide.
“There are years that ask questions, and years that answer.”
— Zora Neale Hurston
