FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Frances Frazier (202) 268-2898
January 24, 2003 Joseph Breckenridge (770) 390-3381
Stamp News Release #03-006
Hurston Festival Contact: Terri Vismale-Morris (404) 346-0410

HARLEM RENAISSANCE NOVELIST ZORA NEALE HURSTON
FEATURED ON U.S. POSTAGE STAMP

EATONVILLE, Fla. – Novelist,
folklorist and anthropologist Zora Neale
Hurston was honored today by the U.S.
Postal Service for her artistry and her
celebration of black culture. With the 19th
stamp in its Literary Arts series, the Postal
Service pays tribute to one of America’s
most original and accomplished writers. A
central figure in the Harlem Renaissance,
Hurston wrote four novels, two books of folklore, an autobiography, and numerous short
stories, plays and essays.
Zora Neale Hurston’s 37-cent stamp features a portrait of Hurston by artist Drew
Struzan based on a 1934 black-and-white photograph taken in Chicago by Carl Van
Vechten. The background of the stamp recalls the setting of Hurston’s novel “Their Eyes
Were Watching God.”
The first day of issue ceremony was held during the 14th Annual Zora Neale Hurston
Street Festival of the Arts and Humanities in historic Eatonville, the oldest incorporated Black
community in the nation and host of the annual festival. The stamp is available today at the
Eatonville and nearby Maitland post offices only, and will be available beginning tomorrow at
post offices throughout the country.
“The Zora Neale Hurston stamp continues our proud tradition of presenting people
and events from our history that represent the very best of America’s culture heritage,” said
Murry E. Weatherall, vice president of Diversity Development for the Postal Service, who
dedicated the stamp.
”The revitalization of Zora Neale Hurston’s unique work is a great contribution to the
American experience, and we are honored to feature such an outstanding writer and
anthropologist in the Literary Arts series,” he said.
Joining Weatherall at the ceremony were Ossie Davis, acclaimed actor of stage, film and
television; Elizabeth Van Dyke, award-winning actress and director; Congresswoman Corrine
Brown (D-FL); Dr. Lois Hurston-Gaston, president of the Ybor City Campus, Hillsborough
Community College, and Zora Neale Hurston’s grandniece; N.Y. Nathiri, executive director of the
Zora Neale Hurston National Museum of Fine Arts, Eatonville; Rev. Willie C Barnes, pastor of
the Macedonia Missionary Baptist Church; Charles Haugabrooks, vocalist; the Jones High
School Master Singers; and Earl Artis, Jr., presiding official and manager of Public Affairs and
Communications for the Postal Service’s Southeast Area.
Honored guests included Anthony Grant, mayor of Eatonville; Dr. Clifford J. Hurston,
Zora Neale Hurston’s nephew; and other family members.
“This stamp is an inspiration to many of us and an indication of how hard work and
perseverance came together to honor Zora Neale Hurston,” said Brown. “This is an honor for
African-American women, for the state of Florida and for the international community. Zora
Neale Hurston’s life and legacy serve as a role model and inspiration for our nation’s
children.”
Hurston began her career as a writer in Washington, D.C., where she was a student
at Howard University. She later moved to New York City and enrolled in Barnard College in
Manhattan. The only African-American student at Barnard, Hurston studied with the
pioneering anthropologist Franz Boas. In 1928 she received her bachelor’s degree in
anthropology.
Hurston was a member of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. On Jan. 10, Barbara Moore,
Zeta’s International President, sent out a “Call to Action” for all Zeta members to go to their
local post office on Saturday, Jan. 25 to purchase Zora Neale Hurston postage stamps.
To see the Zora Neale Hurston stamp, visit the U.S. Postal Service Web site at
www.usps.com and locate the online version of this press release by clicking on “News and
Events,” then “Philatelic News.”
Current U.S. stamps, as well as a free comprehensive catalog are available toll free
by calling 1 800 STAMP-24. In addition, a selection of stamps and other philatelic items are
available online at the Postal Store (www.usps.com/shop).
Since 1775, the U.S. Postal Service has connected friends, families, neighbors and businesses by mail. It is an
independent federal agency that visits 137 million homes and businesses every day and is the only service
provider to deliver to every address in the nation. The Postal Service receives no taxpayer dollars for routine
operations, but derives its operating revenues solely from the sale of postage, products and services. With
annual revenues of more than $66 billion, it is the world’s leading provider of mail and delivery services, offering
some of the most affordable postage rates in the world. The Postal Service delivers more than 46 percent of the
world’s mail volume—some 207 billion letters, advertisements, periodicals and packages a year—and serves 7
million customers each day at its 40,000 retail locations nationwide.
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