Rebel Friday: Zora Neale Hurston

"There are years that ask questions and years that answer."  -Zora Neale Hurston

 

This quote from today's Rebel Feature Miss Zora Neale Hurston couldn't feel more true.  Zora knew there was a revolution coming, but who knew it would take this long. 

 

In honor of Juneteenth and the amazing figures we've been learning about who impacted the fight for freedom and the advancement of the black community we are excited to share a bit about ZORA NEALE HURSTON- a rebel we bow down to.   

 

The daughter of former slaves, this brilliant woman set out to carve her own path.  One that led her to become a novelist, anthropologist and trailblazer for black women's empowerment.  

 

Zora supported herself through college (where she was the only black student) and became an important figure in the Harlem art scene. 

A fun fact that we found is at the age of 26 Zora changed her birth date to high school age so she could get a free education. Sometimes you have to break the rules!  

 

Throughout her life Zora traveled to the Caribbean and the American South to immerse herself in the local culture and conduct the research for her books. 

Most of her writing focused around the African-American experience and her struggles as an African-American woman.  

 

“She was born a rebel. She was born curious about the "horizon."”

 

Below is a list of some her most well-known work: 

• Their eyes Were Watching God (1937) —The novel tells the story of Janie Mae Crawford, who learns the value of self-reliance through multiple marriages and tragedy
  
• Short work, Sweat (1926)
  
• Autobiographical essay, How It Feels to be Colored Me (1928)
  
• Articles to magazines, including the ‘Journal of American Folklore’
  
• First novel, Jonah's Gourd Vine (1934)
  
• Collection of stories, Mules and Men (1935)
  
• Autobiography, Dust Tracks on a Road (1942)
  
• Plays: Mule-Bone: A Comedy of Negro Life and The Great Day and From Sun to Sun and more…