9. Duke Ellington is memorialized in this statue in Harlem, New York
Duke Ellington is memorialized in this statue in Harlem, New York. Ellington was a major presence in the Harlem Renaissance and was famous for playing jazz, although he played other genres as well (classical, blues, and gospel). How does the music of an era influence a writer?
Discussion: Most students spend time listening to and learning about current popular music and musicians. You may want to have students explore what they know about music from different time periods. Discuss thoughts about how music not only influences writers, but also how it may help bring about social changes.

10. Literature in the Harlem Renaissance
Common Themes that Emerged:
An excitement for the future
Recognition of genealogical past
Pride and excitement for the accomplishments of African Americans
An enjoyment of jazz as a new music form
Prove intellectual equality with whites through art, music, literature, and culture
Experiencing of racial differences

11. Disagreement
Black writers disagreed over the purpose of African American literature
Should it express positive, inspirational images of the black community?
Should it express the reality of the black community?

13. Zora Neale Hurston ( ) was a novelist, essayist, anthropologist, and a vibrant part of the Harlem Renaissance. She grew up in the small town of Eatonville, Florida – the first incorporated black township. Hurston’s idyllic childhood was interrupted by the death of her mother when Hurston was only 13. She struggled to finish high school, which she still had not accomplished by age 26. Despite her early struggles, Hurston went on to graduate from Barnard College in Their Eyes Were Watching God is considered her master work. “How it Feels to be Colored Me,” originally published in the May 1928 edition of The World Tomorrow, was a contentious essay that obviously did not fit with the ideologies of racial segregation, nor did it completely mesh with the flowering black pride associated with the Harlem Renaissance.
Anthropologist: Study of human beings – physical and cultural development, biological characteristics, and social customs and beliefs

14. Before Reading
1. Based on the following quote by Alice Walker, what can you infer about Zora Neale Hurston’s personality? “Hurston became an orphan at nine, a runaway at fourteen, maid and manicurist before she was twenty, and with one dress and a dream – managed to become Zora Neale Hurston, author and anthropologist.” – Alice Walker
Hurston is determined, motivated, a dreamer, persistent, zealous

15. “How It Feels to Be Colored Me”
Based on the title, predict what Hurston will share in this essay.
Read and annotate
Discussion Questions
Motif and theme

16. “How It Feels to Be Colored Me”
2. What is the tone of the first sentence of the essay? How does Hurston connect this sentence to the first sentence in par. 2?
3. What can we infer about Hurston's attitude for life? (par. 1-4)
4. How does Hurston view the relationship between her and white people? (par. 1-4)
5. How does paragraph 5 serve as the end of the essay’s introduction and a transitional device?

17. “How It Feels to Be Colored Me”
From paragraph 6, infer what Hurston means by “tragically colored.”
In par. 7 and 8, how does Hurston identify her philosophy of living and her perspective of history? What is the effect of the foot-race metaphor on her meaning?
8. What picture of the music of the time does Hurston paint in par. 11? What imagery and sensory details does she include?

18. “How It Feels to Be Colored Me”
9. How does Hurston see herself as a woman and as an American citizen? How might this attitude separate her from others, both black and white? How does she justify her feelings? What does this belief tell us about her faith in herself? 10. Explain the extended metaphor in the last paragraph. How does this metaphor define Hurston as a natural product of and a departure from the ideas of the Harlem Renaissance.

19. Create the following chart in your comp. book
Philosophies Hurston shared with the Harlem Renaissance
Hurston’s departure from the Harlem Renaissance
Idea/Theme and Quote