Racism and inequality with African Americans have been prevalent in the U.S. for a long time. Specifically, during the Harlem Renaissance, this struggle of discrimination had arguably the greatest impact on the writers of this time period. Zora Neale Hurston is just one example of a writer who was affected by this. She was faced with discrimination, a harder lifestyle, and publication issues. Hurston grew up in a small town in Florida called Eatonville, it was an all African American town and this has Its pros and cons. Some would say, well how could she experience hate and inequality if she was living in a town of her people? This is somewhat true, but on the flip side, she has not exposed to this her whole life like most so when she was …show more content…
With both of her parents gone at the age of 14 this reality hit her hard she had nobody to help her through it and this played a huge role in her writing but also developing as a person. Most of her work date back to Eatonville where she keeps African American culture super real and this is what most people gave her hate for. They thought she was illiterate, “Hurston received a lot of criticism in her time by other writers, some of whom were also involved in the Harlem Renaissance.” Throughout her writing career, she was constantly being told that what she was doing was not right even by fellow writers of the Harlem Renaissance. This reveals a lot about Hurston's life in that most were against her and not just …show more content…
For most people when they are constantly getting shoved down and it feels like the world is against them instead of giving up they get back up and prove everyone wrong. Zora Neale Hurston is a prime example of this. Through interviews and pieces of her work, we are able to tell that she lives by that. Hurston says “Sometimes, I feel discriminated against, but it does not make me angry. It merely astonishes me. How can any deny themselves the pleasure of my company? It’s beyond me.” The hate and the hardships that she has endeavored only further strengthen her writing. She even received awards and was well known throughout her education. “Hurston was the first black scholar to research folklore on the level that she did.” Although this is true everyone has bad days and the hate and struggles did affect her life she was very poor, “Throughout most of her life she struggled with poverty despite her hard work.” This is still shown in today's society where life among African Americans and Caucasians is significantly different whether we want to admit it or not. You see this especially in law enforcement, which Hurston runs into as well being accused of raping a child, the odds are unfortunately not in her
Zora Neale Hurston was born in Notasulga Alabama on, January 7, 1891. When she was a little girl her family moved to the now iconic town of Eatonville Florida. She was fifth child of eight of John Hurston and Lucy Ann Hurston. Eatonville was one of the first all-black towns to be established in the United States. Zora’s interest in literature was piqued when a couple of northern teachers, came to Eatonville and gave her books of folklore and fantasy. After her mother died, her father and new stepmother sent her to a boarding school. In 1918 Hurston began her undergraduate studies at Howard...
Zora Neale Hurston grew up in Eatonville, Florida also known as “Negro Town” (Hurston, 1960, p.1). Not because of the town was full of blacks, but because the town charter, mayor, and council. Her home town was not the first Negro community, but the first to be incorporated. Around Zora becoming she experienced many hangings and riots. Not only did Zora experience t...
However, there is something to say about promoting pride within one’s community. There has been a trend in education to promote celebration and awareness instead of tolerance to combat racism. This aligns with what Hurston tries to argue. The traditional “color-blindness” model has proven not to work. At the same time, it can be argued that this is a redundant “fight fire with fire” tactic. Hurston conveniently ignores the many ways that blacks are treated less than whites within the united states at the time. Would blacks be better off if they were left to themselves in a constant situation of minority? This might have been a situation where pride was successfully sacrificed to promote give equal opportunity to all
Zora Neale Hurston was, the daughter of a Baptist minister and an educated scholar who still believed in the genius contained within the common southern black vernacular(Hook http://splavc.spjc.cc.fl.us/hooks/Zora.html). She was a woman who found her place, though unstable, in a typical male profession. Hurston was born on January 7, 1891 in Eatonville, Florida, the first all-incorporated black town in America. She found a special thing in this town, where she said, "... [I] grew like a like a gourd and yelled bass like a gator," (Gale, 1). When Hurston was thirteen she was removed from school and sent to care for her brother's children. She became a member of a traveling theater at the age of sixteen, and then found herself working as a maid for a white woman. This woman saw a spark that was waiting for fuel, so she arranged for Hurston to attend high school in Baltimore. She also attended Morgan Academy, now called Morgan State University, from which she graduated in June of 1918. She then enrolled in the Howard Prep School followed by later enrollment in Howard University. In 1928 Hurston attended Barnard College where she studied anthropology under Franz Boas. After she graduated, Zora returned to Eatonville to begin work on anthropology. Four years after Hurston received her B.A. from Barnard she enrolled in Columbia University to begin graduate work (Discovering Authors, 2-4). Hurston's life seemed to be going well but she was soon to see the other side of reality.
Despite the mindset that most of her peers keep about the inequality of race, she maintains an open mind and declares to the reader that she finds everyone equal. Thus proving herself as a person ahead of her own time. What I feel is truly remarkable about this author is that despite all the scrutiny and anguish that she faces like most of her race at the time she does not take a negative attitude towards white people and she actually chooses to ignore the general racial segregation. Her charming wit and sense of humor despite all the hardship is what attracts the reader. Hurston does not let her social disadvantages stop her from trying to achieve her aspirations and dreams.
Some African Americans view their race as inferior to the white race. Even though the author may not hold this same opinion, it is still important that he or she understands that part of his or her audience does, especially when writing about racial identity. Zora Neale Hurston understood
Zora Neale Hurston was a novelist, folklorist, and anthropologist. Zora plays an important role for the Harlem Renaissance. Zora Neale Hurston is considered one of the titans of twentieth-century African American literature. Despite that she would later fall into disgrace because of her firm views of civil rights, her lyrical writing which praise southern black culture has influenced generations of black American literary figures. Hurston’s work also had an impact on later black American authors such as Ralph Ellison, Alice Walker, and Toni Morrison.
Hurston does not concern herself with the actions of whites. Instead, she concerns herself with the self-perceptions and actions of blacks. Whites become almost irrelevant, certainly negative, but in no way absolute influences on her
In Hurston’s essay, she mentions her family didn't what her to make contact with white people. It is the turning point of this essay. She had a great enlightenment when she realized: the society isn't treating us differently, it’s us who see ourselves differently. Anyhow, she has been very proud to be an African American. The entire essay is written in an encouraging way, which leads the reader to brainstorm the position of ourselves in this
Racism has been a problem in society for decades and even though people have taken stands for equality, racism is still present. People who felt on the outside during their life tried in any way to be heard since their own thoughts were valuable when taking steps closer to equality. Speeches, art, music, and literature were all valuable sources when African Americans spoke their minds. The Harlem Renaissance and personal experiences, being main inspirations, motivated Hughes to take new and creative approaches such as folk and jazz poetry. Langston Hughes was a voice that got across the unfair treatment and limited opportunities that many African Americans experienced throughout their lifetime.
She even talks about how they were being generous to her. For example, Hurston says, “During this period, white people differed from colored to me only in that they rode through town and never lived there. They liked to hear me “speak pieces" and sing and wanted to see me dance the parse-me-la, and gave me generously of their small silver for doing these things, which seemed strange to me for I wanted to do them so much that I needed bribing to stop, only they didn 't know it” (539). Hurston would soon find out that when she had to leave her small town to go to a boarding school because of family changes that the real world is full of racism and discrimination towards colored people. I think this is when she realizes that she is
During the late 19th and early 20th century, racial injustice was very prominent and even wildly accepted in the South. Booker T. Washington and W.E.B. DuBois were two of the most renowned “pioneers in the [search] for African-American equality in America” (Washington, DuBois, and the Black Future). Washington was “born a slave” who highly believed in the concept of “separate but equal,” meaning that “we can be as [distant] as the fingers, yet one as the hand in all things essential to mutual progress” (Washington 1042). DuBois was a victim of many “racial problems before his years as a student” and disagreed with Washington’s point of view, which led
Appiah, K.A. and Gates, Henry Louis, Jr. eds. Zora Neale Hurston: Critical Perspectives Past and Present. New York: Amistad Press, Inc., 1993.
Hurston’s “How it Feels to be Colored Me” the presence of conflicting views in their
...izes that there are still great differences between them and she sees them in a positive way. She feels while he only hears. Hurston handles the topic of race relations with no shame for herself or the African American community. She is proud of the differences. She feels life more fully.