Alice Walker talks about self perception and love in Zora Neale Hurston's work

After 75 years, Zora Neale Hurston's novel, "Their Eyes Were Watching God," still resonates in the hearts and minds of contemporary audiences, but it had particular significance for black women writers and artists who were working at the time of its rediscovery. The Greene Space convened three luminaries who are all intimately connected to the novel -- Alice Walker, Sonia Sanchez and Ruby Dee -- to share their stories and describe how they saw Janie and Zora's horizons on their own journeys. Zora Neale Hurston's niece Lucy Anne Hurston, author of Speak, So You Can Speak Again: The Life of Zora Neale Hurston, served as the evening's moderator.
Here, Alice Walker discusses self perception and self love among writers and people of color.

[@emilyhodges718]

Alice Walker and Zora Neale Hurston both have the power of language. What Alice Walker says here about joy and love is powerful and inspiring.

[@dorandacolbert5973]

Joy is the birthright of humanity.

[@2ancient2define97]

Well said Empresa Walker!

[@omalone1169]

00:35 did she laugh

[@Prana3012]

Pollyzoom met Alice Walker in 1973 in Watertown New York. She was on a speaking tour and I set up the stage and listed to Alice. She had only written a few books and had not written the color purple yet. She was extremely powerful even then. I have also met Toni Morrison but many years later at the State University of New York in the Theatre dept.

[@CassendreXavier]

Thank you for posting this.

[@dnix5787]

this is amazing...

[@dahanalavaud8444]

that really help me doing my project.

[@EdwardGarrenMFT]

All of this is applicable to the GLBTQ community as well, the difficulties we have loving our ("unwashed") selves, the fears we have that "they" (straight people) won't accept us. We turn those fears on each other, to our detriment.

[@hthtv3440]

@Edward Garren, not sure if you're still on YT...? But just seen this vid/comment section recently. 'Won't include my sexuality here---don't deem that necessary to make a lucid cogent point. Please, don't take offense, I'm really not challenging you here, I'm posing this as a trained journalist would...but um, Y do "they" need to "accept you?? What do you propose "they" do with that "acceptance??" *You can't "force" a true friendship.* Such a union would never read naturally...and sane. Logically and Legally Speaking, #gay people should only be concerned that a #law isn't broken based on their sexual choices. And or that their sexual choices don't break any laws. All else is a mark of *an emotionally immature...* and dare I suggest *"unstable" mind.* Again, no one has to "accept" you, that's outside of your gay community. The unity y'all showcase, there should be enough "acceptance" *there.* How isn't *that* enough to satiate your emotional senses? *Secure?* Not just you, Mr. Garren; but a lot of gay people seem to be protesting that "others" ACCEPT them. That's an emotional bully. Again, as long as no laws, true laws, were broken...what's the tiff about?? I know some gays that don't like other gay people; do you all also protest for "Acceptance" within the homosexual community?? No (from what I've witness); so Y oppress others outside of it with that "Be Our Friend" cry?? No Shade. But *No non-Logic either.*

[@ryantjoa]

@@hthtv3440 Your comment is ridiculous and hypocritical. How can you call acceptance of LGBTQ people "oppression"? And since when was the law the ultimate test of moral behavior? Slow down with the scare quotes, too.

[@maryjewell4683]

I read Zora Neal Hurston and it didn't impress me but another who writes about the blacks and Jews in a small community 1938 Pennsylvania.

[@Da_Xman]

"Incredibly toxic culture"...now there's an understatement... No matter what race, creed, color, religious persuasion or political orientation, anyone having an apparent problem with someone like Zora Neale Hurston actually has a >very< sizable problem with unrecognized and unexamined deep seated conflicts within themselves.

[@livefromplanetearth]

🙏🏾

[@rochellewarren6219]

AMEN

[@brooklynnyc]

✊🏾✨

[@theraceanalystphdprovingha4119]

Perception: "...you're supposed to be picketing, if not you're expected to be passing out leaflets...fighting or something..." 😉

[@omalone1169]

What brings you here

[@aidanmaguire20]

hi ms chappell

[@ansharyan710]

hi aidan

[@aidanmaguire20]

@@ansharyan710 hi ansh

[@governmentdidit]

Zora was the fourth libertarian lady..

[@AlexTu]

Mmmhmmph

[@MrRedstardude]

Considering that Zora Neale Hurston was a full on right-winger, shouldn't the question be; "Why didn't you pay for your own tombstone instead of letting others foot the bill?"

[@romeciawright6763]

Shut the Freak up ! You are so simple and Clear . Your sheepish mentality allows you to bleed the Bullshit of our spoiled day too poison your Beautiful Now . Reach deeper and Find a Self ; Yourself not a Punk ass Bully of Tax Tabs .

[@MrRedstardude]

I actually am a full on lefty. It really does intrigue me why Zora was a libertarian but relied on the patronage of others. Also, I can understand why she had been ignored by the mainstream considering that she didn't fully participate within the Harlem Renaissance.

[@jerryschreiber3031]

If it's simply a Libertarian/Right Wing issue, isn't everything fine as long as the government didn't provide the patronage?

[@chinekqwasmall7381]

If we lose love and self respect for each other, you start to live your life as a subnormal mind. If Zora Neale words spoke values around the world. Why worry yourselves over a tumbstone that marks the death that lays. Zora Neale words are mark everywhere around the world, it allows her to continue and live through spirit . SO, with that being said one of the greatest evils is foolishness of a good man. (Love&Peace by Nene Small😘)

[@whiteheart6827]

@@romeciawright6763 Preach!

[@thewatchersuperman]

Interesting. Upon my initial reading of "Their Eyes.." I felt it was a "modern minstrel show". I didn't appreciate it's comical and generally insulting view of men. It was a shallow view of a people and was completely devoid of any serious character depth or growth. All this was years prior to even learning Richard Wright criticized it. She was Tyler Perry. What 60 years ago? Alice sounds almost apologetic for the work here...making excuses for it. She's somewhat cagey regarding critique here..

[@lovinglife9023]

She's not apologizing. She is explaining the reason for the exposition and language.

[@thewatchersuperman]

@@lovinglife9023 This comment was 7 years ago. Fact is, I don't care if she apologizes or if she's sorry. She an old woman and just a link in the anti-black male chain that exists in the matriarchal black community. Nobody cares...black men know what it is now - and for that I thank her.

[@lovinglife9023]

@@thewatchersuperman you put a lot on one book. Black men left black women long before the color purple. We see your abandonment of the Black family.

[@thewatchersuperman]

@@lovinglife9023 She's just one link. She by no means did anything alone, not by a long-shot. I understand, black women file 70-80% of divorces, so our abandonment is simply your projection...to say nothing of govt assistance for single women. Read Dr. E. Franklin Frasier...very enlightening. But if you still insist that we left, you can't also blame us for the failure the black community is today. Kinda a moot point in 2020...

[@lovinglife9023]

@@thewatchersuperman I think that we are passed the point of blame. We are in state of emergency. We need to have conversations like this to move forward and heal. I will read the book.