Meet the Past: Zora Neale Hurston

Meet the Past features Kansas City Public Library Director Crosby Kemper III interviewing prominent historical figures (as portrayed by local actors and veteran Chautauqua performers) with Kansas City-area connections. This episode features Zora Neale Hurston, one of the pre-eminent writers of twentieth-century African-American literature.

[@rosemorris7912]

Hurston gave the world some wonderful literature. I'm so glad she's finally getting the recognition she so richly deserved.

[@elizabethfreshour4828]

Everything out of Zora's mouth was delightful and fascinating. I wish I could have had her to dinner man I love her stories.

[@Marah914]

Wow!...she killed it!..she acted it so well!, Ms Zora will be so proud of her!...Wonder how come Ms Zora, ended up the way she did, with all these achievements!

[@Potentialaj]

She was so ahead of her time

[@vmaultsby]

She definitely was ​@@Potentialaj

[@jaguarprophett]

Congratulations to Kemper for covering a pretty comprehensive version of Zora Neale Hurston’s life. And although he mentions the large volume of her writings, educational struggles, ups and downs, difficulties and achievements, he fails to mention her achievement as the first African-American woman to study under the great anthropologist Franz Boas at Columbia University. As many of us know, Boas taught some of the greatest female anthropologists of the twentieth century, Ruth Benedict and Margaret Meade. So, it seems odd that this achievement, particularly at that time in U.S. history, what with all the racism and segregation going on, it is not mentioned. She deserves to be mentioned along with Benedict and Meade as one of the greatest female anthropologists of the early twentieth century...regardless.

[@crushone1]

Yes she wore many hats.

[@1psoas9]

Thank you! THis is unfortunately only one of many points -- he does mention Boas in an aside, but barely that-- which deserve serious amplification. How many in that audience would have known what you just elucidated so well, and how many of them would not have LEARNED something valuable about the validity of Hurston's insistence on giving full value, FULL value, to Negro idiom and the facts of actual black life, and then they might have understood what was at stake in the battle between her and W.E.B. Dubois over what were the important issues. For her, duBois a great homogenizer who wanted to suppress inconvenient truths about the particulars of black history in order to win rhetorical advantages that would lead to legislative advances. Her way is the artist's way, his the politician's, but they are at odds-- and he was her enemy. DuBois did NOT speak up on her behalf in the "corruption of minors" controversy, where a neighbor brought suit against her for seducing her children, which is glossed over here as a frame-up not worth another thought. BUt thousands of years ago it was a "corruption of minors" defamation that brought about the death of Socrates, who was tried in a court of law in Athens and argued by demagogues so that the false case looked like the truth-- and the result in Hurston's case was it broke her spirit and she died within a few years. Socrates was put to death within a short while. Hurston she had powerful insight, which made her a great artist and scholar.

[@jaguarprophett]

@@1psoas9 The U.S. has a "policy" of discrediting and/or destroying great or wealthy African-Americans that do not submit to their racist narrative. They dislike seeing African-Americans with the same privileges or freedoms they have or the same possessions, and they absolutely hate to see them with more than they possess, ergo, the reason for the birth of the MAGA.

[@Brer_cat]

@@1psoas9 This is so beautifully written... I'd really like to talk to you more and see what you know and what you've come to understand with your education. I have been reading a lot of dubois and am tapping into hurstons work and everything you said is absolutely true. I value them both and I see the value in each of their perspectives. Do you have any other social media accounts? Discord maybe?

[@Potentialaj]

Excellent job bringing Zoras spirit to life!! She is so deserving ❤❤❤ thank you

[@mervcharles8365]

I appreciate that this interview exist. But boy I hate that he doesn’t let her finish all of her statements. Let the woman speak damnit. It pains me that our heroes who lived in those days lived, struggled, and died broke smh

[@crushone1]

My great Grandmothers cousin, Zora Neale Hurston.

[@meghanmcneill5365]

That's so cool you are related to the Queen!!!!

[@crushone1]

@@meghanmcneill5365 Yes it's very cool. I appreciate the love for her.

[@MADNEWYORKER914]

This lady is something else. I love her!!!

[@meghanmcneill5365]

The actress portraying Zora was incredible

[@Brer_cat]

whats her name?

[@Halonablack]

This was absolutely brilliant! Thank you!

[@kencabinson9720]

Halona Black That's not her

[@Dekyiful]

Thank you! What a wonderful woman and interview.

[@larrycarr4562]

Just a fabulous interview!

[@BlightMeKC]

Really enjoyed that. Thanks!

[@scorpion777silvermoon3]

I love her. She was funny and a great writer.. Soooo why did he ignore the voodoo talk. I would like to know what she studied

[@ambergray4168]

lol these comments are hilarious. Zora was born in 1891...! LOL

[@dwi5114]

Awesome format!!!!

[@scorpion777silvermoon3]

Bravo

[@shaunrocksthecitytvshow4117]

This lady is awesome she did a great job. I love this channel respect to who put this channel together. Can someone tell me the lady's name who played this part of zora? Maybe it's at the end I don't know I wrote this in the middle of watching this. Shaun rocks the city TV show posted on KZbin.

[@blanchejenkins9841]

Amazing work!

[@lovely-mk4rt]

Wonderful just wonderful 🌺

[@valeriekelco7194]

Bravo!

[@davidchunkyonion]

This was great

[@blanchejenkins9841]

She is GREAT!

[@MADNEWYORKER914]

This isn't the real Zora Hurston??? I think they were reenacting her.

[@fineandmellow6359]

She died in 1960...

[@imchloebeckyfanilovecookie8807]

Yeah

[@imchloebeckyfanilovecookie8807]

But real lnfo

[@alejandraahmed1177]

Was there ever an actual interview of her?

[@meghanmcneill5365]

@@alejandraahmed1177 There's a documentary on her called Jump at the Sun where they use a real voice recording from an interview but no video that I've be able to find unfortunately.

[@HozukiHangetsu]

So much of the "Hurston" dialogue here comes right out of her texts and letters--but does anybody know the source where that "Voodoo was my mother's religion" line is drawn from? That bit is especially curious. Lucy-Ann Hurston does seem to get her started thinking about Hoodoo, at least according to _Dust Tracks,_ but it was like an explanation for why John Hurston "meandered" so much (travel dust in the shoes). I just turned to _Mules and Men_ thinking it'd be in the Louisiana Voodoo section somewhere, but can't find it. And I didn't see it anywhere in _Dust Tracks._ Maybe it comes up in _Tell My Horse?_ (which I haven't reread in a bit).

[@weloveyounaz]

Who else doing these questions ?

[@Brer_cat]

Okay but what is the actress' name? We want to know who she is.

[@elevaders4672]

She was also a dedicated conservative and an absolute hero

[@pjmoseley243]

A Question, a serious question! why do we always speak about the English speaking parts of North America? why dont people speak about the non English speaking parts of America, which goes way down to the tip Of Chile???????

[@danieljz1316]

I see a Vachss book in the background

[@weloveyounaz]

They while buggin

[@Akitokun2023]

I live in that school

[@junho5328]

Zora neale hurston elementary?

[@tcd3657]

I enjoyed learning more about Zora and this actress portraying her is ever so delightful. But as others have commented, what a profoundly irritating and disrespectful interviewer Crosby is. Cutting her off to insert his own commentary at every chance he gets. This is supposed to be an opportunity to center black women's voices after all. Not only that but the library doesn't even have the decency to include the actress' name in the video description. Come on Kansas City Public Library! Get it together

[@lynndivinity7865]

This is not Zora

[@MADNEWYORKER914]

I caught that!!! The real Zora Hurston died years ago.

[@CloudWriter_oidv]

As a Black woman it’s annoying that he is telling most of her story.

[@bhonzonbongco5810]

Happy Birthday

[@arri5448]

She did a great job! He's soo annoying though.

[@rebeccadixon4645]

WHAT is the POINT of her being there? HE IS TELLING HER STORY MORE THAN HER! WTF! We could have GOT THAT in the library!

[@cm9241]

People really out there trying to defund PBS and NPR

[@dawalah]

McKay Jamaican

[@devardajones2430]

interviewer not allowing us to hear from this grand lady. is he talking so much because he wants to impress us with what he knows?? has no sense of humor...talking at ZORA NOT WITH HER.

[@tcd3657]

exactly! so irritating

[@Gondegirl]

Great actress. Horrible costume.

[@larrycarr4562]

A conservative Republican? But guess she would have torn Donald a new one.

[@leahlampley5425]

Feeling this actress isn't as cool as she was

[@robertasweeper2045]

@burbnbougie