Jump at the Sun: Zora Neale Hurston and her Eastonville Roots

FAIN: BH-50297-08

Florida Humanities Council (St. Petersburg, FL 33701-5005)
Ann S. Schoenacher (Project Director: March 2008 to June 2010)

The two week-long seminars outlined in this proposal provide K-12 teachers with an interdisciplinary exploration of the life and work of Zora Neale Hurston and the community that formed her identity and fueled her imagination - Eatonville, Florida. Added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1998, Eatonville is the oldest incorporated black town in the United States. During each seminar week, participants will examine Hurston’s accomplishments within the context of the historical and cultural development of Eatonville and grapple with compelling questions about how this unique black enclave fueled her appreciation of folk culture, inspired her literary works, created her racial and gender identity, and formed her sometimes controversial views on race. Organized by the Florida Humanities Council in cooperation with the Association to Preserve the Eatonville Community and Rollins College, the seminars are scheduled to occur over two consecutive weeks from June 14-27, 2009.