Zora Neale Hurston was born on January 15, 1891 in Notasulga, Alabama. She spent most of her life studying anthropology and writing novels. She moved around a lot due to some family issues. She played a very important role in the Harlem Renaissance. This was a cultural movement that spanned the 1920s; also known as the “New Negro Movement.” She was also part of The Great Migration. The Great Migration was the movement of six million African Americans out of rural areas of the Southern United States to urban areas of the Northeast, Midwest, and West. Overall, Zora led a good life and was a good role model to many people. Zora Neale Hurston was the daughter of John and Lucy Hurston. His father was a carpenter and Baptist preacher. His mother Lucy was a former schoolteacher. Zora was the fifth of eight children in her family. She was born on January 15, 1891, but few people knew her real birthday. It's because she lied about her age. Even though they had a large family, they were not really a poor family. They lived on five acres of land and had a large eight-room house. They always had plenty to eat too. (Reuben) On September 18, 1904, Zora's mother died. It absolutely broke his heart. A few years later, his father remarried. Zora didn't get along with her and didn't like her either, hence the many arguments they had. Part of the reason Zora probably didn't like her new stepmother was that when her father remarried, he began spending less and less time with his children and even ended up with less money for them. (Lillios)Zora was also very educated. The high school she attended was Morgan Academy in Baltimore, where she completed all the paper courses...here Hurston was also working when they finally married in 1939. Unfortunately, that relationship also ended. *No author or page# On January 28, 1960, Zora Neale Hurston died. She died at the St. Lucie County Welfare Home. She died of “hypertensive heart disease.” She was later buried in an unmarked grave in the Garden of Heavenly Rest in Fort Pierce. As you can see, Zora Neale Hurston led a long and beautiful life. She was very educated. She filled the world with all her beautiful works, whether her books or her plays. She was part of a cultural movement, the Harlem Renaissance, and met many great artists. His career as an anthropologist and writer spanned more than thirty years. She proved to many people that the color of her skin or gender did not matter; that she could prove the world wrong and do what she loved to do best.