Zora Neal Hurston was an influential author, folklorist, and anthropologist. She was born in 1891 and published numerous short stories, plays, essays, and novels throughout her career. Some of her most famous works included Their Eyes Were Watching God and Mules and Men. Hurston held unconventional views for the time, such as supporting individual empowerment over civil rights activism. She was a strong-willed person who challenged stereotypes and spoke out against issues like American imperialism. Although criticized at times for her portrayals of African Americans, Hurston was praised for her storytelling ability. She passed away in 1960 with her grave initially going unmarked until author Alice Walker located it years later.

1. Zora Neal Hurston
By: Kizzy Lyons

2. The Beginning
The candid one
 Zora Neale Hurston
January 07, 1891
Folklorist,
anthropologist, and
author

3. Hurston’s Views
Hurston’s Unbendable Views on Civil Rights assisted with Brown v/s The Board of Education.
Hurston was a republican who was often scolded by the media as well as other writers.
Hurston was strong willed individual who refused to be a victim.
Hurston views on life, and social welfare shaped her writing voice.
Hurston was a member of a strong and resilient race of people
Hurston spoke against American imperialism
Hurston challenged the U.S. foreign policy and wrote to the State Department.
H

4. All of her Books
Hurston Published over 50
short stories, plays, and essays.
Hurston was criticized for the
way she characterized
African Americans in her
novels . Today we would brand
that as Ebonics.
Although criticized she was
known for her ability to tell a
story.
Huston’s novels surrounded by
pain filled, and sometimes
magical stories regarding
blacks in the south.

5.  Alice Walker- Wrote Resurrecting Zora
 Langton Hughes- Harlem Renaissance writer
 Harold Bloom
 Oprah Winfrey- Presents There Eyes Where Watching
God ( The movie 2005)
 Ella Deloria

6. Common Themes in her writing
While some argue she paid more attention to the characters than the themes, some say her
focus was on personal empowerment and female empowerment were common themes of her
work. Also, marriage was a major theme in “The Eyes Were Watching God”.

7.  A thing is mighty big  Grab the broom of anger
when time and distance and drive off the beast of
cannot shrink it. fear
 I did not just fall in love.  If you want that good
I made a parachute jump. feeling that comes from
 It cost you something to doing things for other
do good! folk then you have to pay
for it in abuse and
misunderstanding
 It’s no use of talking
unless people
understand what you say.

8. The End
Zora Neale Hurston
passed January 28,
1960, Initially this
grave was unmarked
until Alice Walker-
novelist found the
unmarked grave in
the vicinity where
Hurston had been
buried, and decided
to mark it as hers.