Exploring the Life and Legacy of Zora Neale Hurston

CrashCourse

This installment of Crash Course Black American History explores the life, work, and enduring legacy of Zora Neale Hurston, a central figure of the Harlem Renaissance who broke literary barriers. Hosted by Clint Smith, the video traces Hurston's journey from her childhood in the all-Black town of Eatonville, Florida, through her education at Howard and Columbia Universities, to her rise as a uniquely anthropological storyteller. It examines how she utilized her training under Franz Boas to document Black Southern life and folklore with dignity and complexity, rather than using her characters merely as political symbols.