Zora Neale Hurston (Alabama Roots)

Zora Neale Hurston (born January 7, 1891 – died January 28, 1960) was an American author, folklorist and anthropologist born in Notasulga, Alabama, who grew up in Eatonville, Florida. A central figure of the Harlem Renaissance, she is best known for the novel Their Eyes Were Watching God (1937), and she was inducted into the Alabama Writers Hall of Fame in 2015.[1][2]

Alabama birth and Eatonville

Hurston was the fifth of eight children, born in Notasulga in Macon County, Alabama. Her family moved to Eatonville, Florida, one of the first all-Black towns incorporated in the United States, where her father later became mayor, and she used the town as the setting for many of her stories.[1][2]

Education and the Harlem Renaissance

She attended Morgan Academy night school from 1917, graduated from high school in 1918, earned an associate degree at Howard University in 1920 and became the first African American admitted to Barnard College, where she earned a B.A. in anthropology in 1928 and later did graduate work at Columbia under Franz Boas. She moved to New York in 1925, published the short story “Spunk” in The New Negro and co-founded the magazine Fire!! in 1926.[1]

Works

Her books include the folklore collection Mules and Men (1935), Jonah’s Gourd Vine (1934-35, as listed by the Encyclopedia of Alabama as 1935), Their Eyes Were Watching God (1937), Tell My Horse (1938), based on research in Jamaica and Haiti, the autobiography Dust Tracks on a Road (1942) and Barracoon, published posthumously in 2018.[1][2]

Death and rediscovery

Hurston died in Fort Pierce, Florida, in 1960, and her grave was unmarked until author Alice Walker located it in 1973 and placed a marker reading “A Genius of the South.” Walker’s 1975 article in Ms. magazine revived interest in her work. Hurston was inducted into the National Women’s Hall of Fame in 1994, the New York Writers Hall of Fame in 2010 and the Alabama Writers Hall of Fame in 2015.[1] See also Literature of Alabama.

Early life and education

Zora Neale Hurston was born in Notasulga, Alabama, on January 7, 1891, and moved as a child to Eatonville, Florida, one of the first all-Black towns incorporated in the United States, where she later set many stories. She studied at Howard University and Barnard College, where she was the first African American admitted, then worked with anthropologist Franz Boas at Columbia University on African American and Caribbean folklore.[3]

Major works

She was a central figure of the Harlem Renaissance and contributed to Fire!!. Her works include Mules and Men (1935), Their Eyes Were Watching God (1937), Tell My Horse (1938) and the autobiography Dust Tracks on a Road (1942). She worked for the Federal Writers’ Project and taught at North Carolina College for Negroes.[3]

Rediscovery and legacy

Her work fell into obscurity for decades until Alice Walker’s 1975 article in Ms. revived interest, and Barracoon appeared posthumously in 2018. She died in Fort Pierce, Florida, on January 28, 1960, and was inducted into the National Women’s Hall of Fame in 1994.[3]

FAQs

Where was Zora Neale Hurston born? In Notasulga, Alabama.

What is her best-known novel? Their Eyes Were Watching God (1937).

Sources

1. Wikipedia: Zora Neale Hurston
2. Encyclopedia of Alabama: Alabama Literature
3. Wikipedia: Zora Neale Hurston

Editorially reviewed by Specialty Digest Editorial TeamLast reviewed November 10, 2026Researched and drafted with AI assistanceReport an issue