Zora Neale Hurston was a prominent writer and anthropologist, best known for her classic novel, Their Eyes Were Watching God. Although her work was recognized during her lifetime, it was only after her death that she gained the recognition she deserved for her writing.
Born on January 7, 1891, in Notasulga, Alabama, Hurston moved with her family to Eatonville, Florida, when she was still a toddler. Her childhood in Eatonville, an all-black town, had a significant impact on her writings and her perspective on African American life. Despite a relatively happy childhood, Hurston's idyllic life came to an end when her mother died in 1904, leaving her father with little time or money for his children. Over the ensuing years, Hurston worked a series of menial jobs, struggled to finish her schooling, and eventually joined a Gilbert & Sullivan traveling troupe as a maid to the lead singer.
Hurston's literary career began in earnest in the 1920s when she became a prominent figure in the Harlem Renaissance, befriending notable figures such as Langston Hughes and Ethel Waters. She graduated from Barnard College in 1928 and went on to publish several short stories, articles, novels, and collections of black Southern folklore. Her masterworks, Their Eyes Were Watching God and Moses, Man of the Mountain, were published in the late 1930s and early '40s, cementing her place as a literary genius. Her autobiography, Dust Tracks on a Road, was published in 1942, earning her well-deserved acclaim.
Despite her success, Hurston never received the financial rewards she deserved, and when she died on January 28, 1960, her neighbors had to take up a collection for her funeral. Her grave remained unmarked until 1973 when a young writer named Alice Walker traveled to Fort Pierce to place a marker on Hurston's grave, honoring the author who had inspired her own work. Today, Hurston's legacy lives on, and she is remembered as a trailblazing writer and anthropologist who broke barriers and paved the way for future generations of African American writers.