Zora Neale Hurston was putting on for the culture long before the phrase came into existence. Raised in the culturally affirming environment of Eatonville, Florida (the nation's first incorporated African American town), she was exposed to Black excellence on a daily basis.
She went on to attend Howard University and later become Barnard College's first Black graduate. As one of the leading lights of the Harlem Renaissance, she used her voice to advocate for the rights and protection of African Americans - as well as challenge her peers.
In doing so, she wrote a letter to fellow luminary W.E.B. Du Bois, the Dean of American Negro Artists, asking him why there wasn’t a cemetery for influential African Americans and challenging him to establish one. See for yourself.
Ironically, after her passing her very own grave went unrecognized and unmarked for years until Alice Walker stepped up and purchased her headstone. Zora Neale Hurston, we honor and appreciate you!
In the words of Ms. Hurston: "Truth is a letter from courage."