Zora Neale Hurston

Born on January 7, 1891, in Notasulga, Alabama, she was raised in Eatonville, Florida, one of the first incorporated all-Black towns in the United States. That community shaped her imagination for life and became a rich source for her writing.

She became known as a novelist, folklorist, and anthropologist, and was a major figure of the Harlem Renaissance. Alongside novels such as Their Eyes Were Watching God, she collected and recorded African American folklore, blending scholarship with a vivid storytelling style that made everyday speech and local tradition feel alive on the page.

She died on January 28, 1960, in Fort Pierce, Florida. After a period of relative neglect, her work was rediscovered and is now widely recognized for its originality, energy, and lasting influence on American literature.