University of Central Florida Special Collections and University Archives. All rights reserved.
University of Central Florida Libraries collected these materials in 2007.
University of Central Florida Libraries collected these materials in 2007.
The entire collection is open for research.
Unpublished manuscripts are protected by copyright. Permission to publish, quote or reproduce must be secured from the repository and the copyright holder.
Collected Materials on the Zora Neale Hurston Festival, Special Collections and University Archives, University of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida.
Eatonville, Florida is generally considered the first African American township in the United States. It is the birthplace and childhood home of writer, anthropologist, and folklorist Zora Neale Hurston. For these reasons, the annual Zora Neale Hurston Festival of the Arts and Humanities is held in Eatonville. Sponsored by the Association to Preserve the Eatonville Community, Inc. (P.E.C.), there are two primary goals of the festival: to perpetuate the memory and lasting recognition of Zora Neale Hurston and her work and to preserve the Eatonville community. The Zora Neale Hurston Festival of the Arts and Humanities attracts guests and speakers from across the country. Past speakers include Maya Angelou, Spike Lee, and Wesley Snipes. Zora Neale Hurston left a lasting mark on African American communities and culture throughout the United States. The festival, and the documents that it has produced, are a way of recognizing her past achievements as well as reminding future generations of her importance. This is being done through community and educational outreach programs that include seminars and curriculum for both students and teachers in the Orange County School District, historic preservation workshops, and various publications by the P.E.C.
The collection is divided into two series, each organized chronologically and then alphabetically.
The Zora Neale Hurston Festival Collected Materials contain documents spanning the festivals inception in 1990 until 2006. The first series of documents primarily contain programs printed for each year's festival. While there is not a complete set, the collection currently contains programs from 1990-1994 and 1999-2001. The second series contains magazine articles, newspaper clippings, and brochures that illustrate the growing programs and projects of the Association to Preserve the Eatonville Community. These include student and teacher workshops, art exhibitions, and publications that resulted from the growing influence of Zora Neale Hurston's work.
Similar records may be found by searching under the following index terms.
The first series is comprised of materials related directly to the Zora Neale Hurston Festival of Arts and Humanities. This series mostly contains the programs detailing each annual event from 1990-1994 and 1999-2007.
The second series contains documents that relate directly or indirectly to the Zora Neale Hurston Festival or to the Association to Preserve the Eatonville Community, Inc.. These include magazine articles, newspaper clippings, and brochures as well as public outreach documents detailing forums, symposia, and workshops designed to heighten awareness of P.E.C. projects.