The Orange County Regional History Center hosed N.Y. Nathiri who spoke about The Legacy of Zora Neale Hurston as a Cultural Preservationist. In addition to exploring Hurston’s literary accomplishments, Nathiri delved into Hurston’s important work as an anthropologist and activist; Nathiri also highlighted the community-driven effort to promote Hurston’s legacy in Central Florida.
Nathiri read one short story by Hurston about the empowerment of woman. In it, men and women had been created equal by God but man wanted the upper hand. So the man went to God and asked him for more strength than the woman which God granted. The man used his new strength to dominate the woman.
So the woman went to God and asked for more strength but God had already granted that to the man. He could not grant her more strength then the man. That made her spitting mad. So she went to the devil. He told her to get 3 keys from God.
One key was for the bedroom, one key was to the cradle and one key was to the kitchen. She locked them all up and waited for the man to come home. The man had no peace in bed and nothing to eat, and he couldn’t have children unless he used his power to suit the woman. Of course you are far better off to read this story in Hurston’s own words. She uses a delicious dialect that comes from her background as a cultural preservationist and astute story teller.
Nathiri spoke quite a bit bout the history of Eatonville Florida which is the oldest town incorporated by African Americans just north of Orlando. It hosts the Zora Neale Hurston festival each year and has become an internationally recognized community. It was shocking to learn that in the 1980s, Orange County had considered the school in Eatonville as a possible site for a bus depot. They put this line item on the docket for a vote late in the evening since most working folks might not show up ant the item could pass. Residents in Eatonville showed up on mass for that meeting and they saved the school.