Zora Neale Hurston
January 7, 1891–January 28, 1960
Author and anthropologist who celebrated Black Southern folk culture and wrote 'Their Eyes Were Watching God,' one of the greatest American novels.
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Who Was Zora Neale Hurston?
Author and anthropologist who celebrated Black Southern folk culture and wrote 'Their Eyes Were Watching God,' one of the greatest American novels.
Zora Neale Hurston was born on January 7, 1891, in Notasulga, Alabama, but grew up in Eatonville, Florida - one of the first all-Black towns in America. Her father was a preacher and three-term mayor. When Zora was 13, her mother died and the family scattered.
Hurston became a central figure of the Harlem Renaissance. She studied anthropology under Franz Boas at Barnard College - the only Black student. She published 'Mules and Men' (1935) and wrote 'Their Eyes Were Watching God' in seven weeks in 1937. She co-founded Fire!! magazine with Langston Hughes.
"I am not tragically colored."- Zora Neale Hurston, 'How It Feels to Be Colored Me,' 1928
Hurston died in obscurity in 1960, buried in an unmarked grave. In 1973, Alice Walker found her grave and placed a marker: 'A Genius of the South.' Walker's essay sparked a revival. Today Hurston is one of the most widely read American authors.
Key Events in Zora Neale Hurston's Life
Did You Know?
Hurston lied about her age, claiming to be 10-12 years younger!
She wrote Their Eyes Were Watching God in just seven weeks.
She was the only Black student at Barnard College.
Alice Walker searched through an overgrown cemetery to find her grave.
She co-founded Fire!! with Langston Hughes.
Eatonville was one of the first all-Black towns in America.
She studied under Franz Boas, the 'father of American anthropology.'
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Zora Neale Hurston Complete Teaching Bundle
Lesson Plan
8-page comprehensive lesson plan with learning objectives, activities, and assessment. Differentiation included.
Student Workbook
12-section interactive workbook with reading passages, activities, quizzes, and a completion certificate.
Flashcard Set
40 cards across 6 categories: vocabulary, key facts, events, quotes, fun facts, and review challenges.
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📖 Lesson Plan
📝 Student Workbook
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