Portrait of Zora Neale Hurston by Carl Van Vechten, published 1938
Source: Carl Van Vechten, photographer, Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division (Reproduction number LC-USZ62-79898DLC)
The theatrical performance "Jump at the Sun: The Life and Times of Zora Neale Hurston" will be presented at the Martin Luther King, Jr., Birthday Celebration on Monday, Jan. 15, 2007.
The annual Pathfinder Awards also will be presented at the celebration. Pathfinder Awards go to local people and organizations who demonstrate the spirit of Dr. King in working for human rights.
The event will be in the Kato Ballroom. Doors will open at 5:30 p.m.; dinner, awards and scholarship presentations will be at 6 p.m.; and the performance will begin at 6:45 p.m. It is sponsored by the Martin Luther King, Jr., Commemorative Board, and co-sponsored by the Minnesota State Mankato Office of Institutional Diversity.
The one-woman show "Jump at the Sun" was created by Buffy Sedlachek and will be performed by Regina Williams. It examines the life and work of Hurston, an influential African-American anthropologist, writer and folklorist.
Hurston was born on Jan. 7, 1891, in Eatonville, Fla., which provided inspiration for several of her novels, including the autobiographical Dust Tracks on the Road. She attended Morgan Academy (now Morgan State University) in Baltimore, and studied at Howard University, Washington, D.C. She began writing short stories in the 1920s, and between 1931 and 1943 published six major novels. She died alone in 1960.
The Jan. 15 performance will include works from her classic Their Eyes Were Watching God, popularized recently by Oprah Winfrey.
Tickets are $10 and can be purchased in advance at the Office of Institutional Diversity. A limited number of tickets will be available at the door. Those who want more information may contact the Office of Institutional Diversity at (507) 389-6125.
Email this article | Permanent link | Topstories news | Topstories news archives
Minnesota State
University, Mankato
Mankato, MN 56001
1-800-722-0544
© 2005-2013 Minnesota State University, Mankato. Minnesota State University, Mankato is a member of
Minnesota State Colleges & Universities system and an affirmative action/equal opportunity university.
