Their Eyes Were Watching God Zora Neale Hurston

Zora Neale Hurston Born 1891 in Notasulga Alabama and moved to Eatonville, Florida at the age of three Eatonville was the first all-black community in the United States Studied anthropology at Howard University—known for her research in folklore in America and Haiti Achieved both fame and controversy as a novelist, anthropologist, essayist, lecturer and theatrical producer After suffering numerous setbacks, she died in a convalescent home, penniless.

Harlem Renaissance The Harlem Renaissance was a movement of African-American culture in literature, dance, music and art from 1919 until the mid 1930s. Talented African-American writers produced a substantial amount of literature, which they felt represented African-Americans realistically. Goals of the Harlem Renaissance: To respond to the social conditions of African-Americans To place greater emphasis on black folk culture To provide political and social uplift for African-Americans

Local Color Local color is the customs, manner of speech, dress or other typical features of a place or period to its particular character. The following all encompasses local color: Culture: everything that people do that is not motivated by natural instinct Tradition: cultural behavior that exhibits community in time Narrative: stories Performance Etiology: any explanation for the origin of something Folklore: cultural behaviors or traditions Regional Dialect: a form of a language that is particular to a specific region or social group

Eatonville Hurston spent most of her life in the town of Eatonville, Florida. Shortly after the Civil War, newly freed slaves moved to central Florida in search of work Because of the large influx of blacks, white landowners and voters soon found themselves outnumbered In order to attempt a better balance of voters, the proposal was made to offer blacks the opportunity to purchase land and establish their own community.