ZORA! Magazine 2017

JAN UARY 2017 E DITION

January 2017

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College of Arts & Humanities

and the Zora Neale Hurston Festival

Partners since the beginning The UCF College of Arts & Humanities offers more than 30 undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral degree programs.

The college is home to the Zora Neale Hurston Institute for Documentary Studies.

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www.cah.ucf.edu

IN T HIS ISSUE ZORA!

CONTRIBUTORS

JANUARY 2017

EDITOR N. Y. Nathiri EDITORIAL SUPPORT Carolyn Atkins Alice Morgan Grant Casandra Mark IT CONSULTANT Keith Longmore

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PHOTOGRAPHER Victor Watkins Anthony B. Major (p. 42-44)

EATONVI CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Zora Neale Hurston

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EATONVILLE: WHEN YOU LOOK AT IT

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EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR'S REPORT

227 East Kennedy Boulevard Eatonville, Florida 32751

IN MEMORIAM

ADVERTISING:

LETTERS OF SUPPORT EATONVILLE THEN AND NOW THE HURSTON NATIONAL MUSEUM OF ART

WHAT'S AHEAD: 2018 & 2019

FEATURES

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GRAPHIC DESIGNER Jen Atwell

ZORA! FESTIVAL 2017

Your Group Tour Des

REACH US!

credit: louise franklin

ADDRESS:

The Association to Preserve the Eatonville Community, Inc. (P.E.C.)

Email: ny@preserveeatonville.org

GENERAL

Email: office@preserveeatonville.org Ph: 407.647.3188 Fax: 407.539.2192

credit: ted hollins

VISIT US

zorafestival.org

CELEBRATING THE 125TH BIRTHDAY For more information on Zora Neale andW the Festival F OHurston L LO US OF ZORA NEALE HURSTON : that bears her name and to book a tour, Carolyn Atkins at 407.647.3307 A LOOK BACK AT THE CALENDAR YEARplease callfacebook.com/zorafestival2017 twitter.com/zora_mus Monday – Friday, 9:00AM – 4:00PM

credit victor watkins

Saturday, 11:00AM – 1:00PM Closed Sundays & Holiday Weekends

ABOUT THE COVER: Early Eatonville © 1909, by André Smith All Rights Reserved © 2003 Licensed Use Secured from Louise Franklin

Copyright 2017. The Association to Preserve the Eatonville Community, Inc. No part of this magazine may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews. Photographs may not be reproduced without the written permission from the owner.

credit: ted hollins

www.PreserveEatonville.org

ZORA! Magazine is published yearly by The Association to Preserve the Eatonville Community, Inc. (P.E.C.), Winfred "Chad" McKendrick, President, 227 East Kennedy Boulevard, Eatonville, Florida 32751-5303. Please address mail to the same address. For a copy of the 2017 edition, please contact P.E.C. via email: docent@preserveeatonville.org or call 407-647-3307.

Cost: $20.00 + 6.5% Florida sales tax and postage/shipping costs to be determined by patron.

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“NO MATTER HOW FAR A PERSON CAN GO THE HORIZON IS STILL WAY

OUC proudly supports the Zora Neale Hurston Festival for bringing light to the creative energy of Zora Neale Hurston. www.ouc.com 4 | ZORA! | January 2017

”

CELEBRATING HISTORIC EATONVILLE AT YEAR 130

Dear Neighbors and Friends:

EATONVILL

On behalf of my fellow board members, our staff and the hundreds of volunteers whose commitment makes this special program possible, it is my signal honor to welcome you to the 28th Annual Zora Neale Hurston™ Festival of the Arts and Destination Your Group Tour Humanities (ZORA!™ Festival) and to the 2017 edition of : the ZORA! Magazine. credit louise franklin

As P.E.C.'s newly-elected president, I am particularly excited to assume the mantle of leadership. As you read through this issue of the magazine, I believe you will understand why I feel the way I do.

God bless, Winfred "Chad" McKendrick President, Board of Directors

Truly, our organization has had a very good year; and we are grateful to our sponsors, to our collaborative partners, and to our volunteers for their continuing support. We look forward : to thriving times as we seek to fulfill our mission to "Preserve the Eatonville Community." credit ted hollins

May you enjoy the time you spend with us at ZORA! Festival 2017. My hope is that you will return to For more information on participate in the otherZora fine programs we present : Neale Hurston and the Festival that bears her name and to book a tour, throughout the year. please call Carolyn Atkins at 407.647.3307

credit victor watkins

Monday – Friday, 9:00AM – 4:00PM Saturday, 11:00AM – 1:00PM Closed Sundays & Holiday Weekends

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www.PreserveEatonville.org

credit: ted hollins

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T H E P. E . C . T E A M

THE ASSOCIATION TO PRESERVE THE EATONVILLE COMMUNITY, P.E.C. BOARD OF DIRECTORS 2016-2017 OFFICERS

Winfred “Chad” McKendrick

Tadayuki “Tad” Hara, Ph.D.

Reginald B. McGill

Business Affiliation: Primerica Regional Vice President Financial Services

Business Affiliation: UCF Rosen College of Hospitality Management, Associate Dean of Administration & Finance

Business Affiliation: City of Orlando, Office of the Mayor, Director of Constituent Services

President

Member since 2009

Vice President

Treasurer

Member since 2000

Member since 2009

MEMBERS

Ava K. Doppelt, Esq.

Thomas S. Kornegay

Business Affiliation: Allen, Dyer, Doppelt, Milbrath & Gilchrist, P.A., Partner

Business Affiliation: TeKONTROL, Inc. Chairman/CEO

Member since 1992

Member since 2009

Jacinta Mathis, Esq. Business Affiliation: Mathis Law Group, LLC Member since 2009

STAFF

N. Y. Nathiri

Executive Director

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Professor Lonnie Graham Resident Curator

Alice M. Grant, Manager

Excellence Without Excuse (E-WE) Community Computer Lab

P.E.C. VISION:

To make Eatonville an internationally-recognized cultural tourism destination for the arts and culture throughout the African Diaspora, with special emphasis on the multi-disciplines as represented in the life and work of Zora Neale Hurston.

Harietta S. Finley

Marie-José François, M.D.

Business Affiliation: Lead Sales & Service Associate, U.S. Postal Service

Business Affiliation: Community Health Centers President/CEO

Member since 2015

Member since 2009

Joshua Smith-Benson, PharmD.

Alberta Wells Godfrey

Secretary

Business Affiliation: Walgreens Pharmacy Manager

Immediate Past President

Business Affiliation: Retired Elementary School Principal

Member since 2009

Member since 2009

Carolyn Atkins

Rajkumarie Bergalowski

Museum Associate for Patron Services

P.E.C. MISSION:

The Association to Preserve the Eatonville Community, Inc. (P.E.C.) is a non-profit/tax-exempt historic preservation organization whose mission is to enhance the resources of Eatonville, Florida, which is “the oldest incorporated African American municipality in the United States” and the hometown of writer, folklorist, and anthropologist Zora Neale Hurston; to educate the public about Eatonville’s historic and cultural significance; and to use the community’s heritage and cultural vibrancy for its economic development.

Bookkeeper

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L E T T E R S / G O V E R N M E N TA L S U P P O R T

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FEED YO U R SOUL A R T S • C U LT U R E • E N T E R TA I N M E N T

A PROGRAM OF:

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FUNDED IN PART BY:

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L E T T E R S / G O V E R N M E N TA L S U P P O R T

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DEPARTMENT HEADS AND MEMBERS

TOWN OF

Abu Canady

Public Works Director

EATONVILLE ELECTED OFFICIALS

Edward "Eddie" Cole Mayor

STAFF Damaris Persaud Mark Hayes Jesse Pugh Christopher Burns Dominique Taylor Juashebia Smith

Joseph Jenkins

Acting Chief of Police/Deputy Chief STAFF Frances Wellebusher Assistant to Chief of Police Marcedus Collins Records & Evidence

Felicita Hernandez Lieutenant

Eric McIntyre Lieutenant

Marilyn Davis-Sconions Councilwoman

Rodney Daniels Vice Mayor

CORPORALS Fletcher Boone Omar Delgado Lamar Payne John Simone OFFICERS Jesenia Diggs Robert Jones Broderick Lampkin Michelle Rozefort

Roy Smith Detective

Katrina Gibson Finance Director

Theodore Washington Councilman

Angela Thomas Councilwoman Administrative Personnel Roger Dixon

Chief Administrative Officer

Veronica L. Smith Executive Assistant

Cathlene Williams Town Clerk

STAFF Herta Wright Elaine Chua Karin Dunn

Roderick Bargaineer

Director of Comm. & Youth STAFF Adriana Johnson Ariana Givens Emmit Tompkins Monesha Perkins Julius Johnson, seasonal Tripp Washington, seasonal

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Everett L. Fly is a 2014 National Humanities Medalist.

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“ I was born in a Negro town. I do

not mean by that the black backside of an average town. Eatonville, Florida, is, and was at the time of my birth, a pure Negro town ---charter, mayor, council, town marshal and all.

It was not the first Negro community in America, but it was the first to be incorporated, the first organized selfgovernment on the part of Negroes in America.

“

Dust Tracks on a Road, 1942

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A R ZO l a v i t s e 17 F

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LET T ERS / LET T ER FROM UCF P RESI DENT

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ZORA! Festival National Planners

Academics Committee

N. Y. Nathiri

Anna Lillios, Ph.D.

The Association to Preserve the Eatonville Community, Inc. (P.E.C.)

Department of English University of Central Florida

Known affectionately as "The Brain Trust," this distinguished group of cultural artists and scholars is responsible for the award-winning stature of ZORA! Festival.

Executive Director (Chair)

Anne V. Adams, Ph.D. Professor Emerita

Cornell University, Ithaca

Deidre Helen Crumbley, Ph.D. Professor

These members serve as the management for the Festival's first-ever national "Communities Conference: Civic Conversations Concerning 21st Century American Life in Communities of Color."

Committee Chair, Professor

Julian C. Chambliss, Ph.D. Chair, Professor

Department of History

Coordinator

North Carolina State University, Raleigh

Africa and African American Programs Rollins College

JosĂŠ Fernandez, Ph.D.

Scot French, Ph.D.

University of Central Florida, Orlando

University of Central Florida

Retired Dean

Associate Professor of Digital & Public History

Mayor Johnny Ford

Trent Tomengo

Historic Black Towns and Settlements Alliance, Inc., Tuskagee

Seminole State College

President

Professor of Humanities

Lois Hurston Gaston, Ph.D.

Clarissa West-White, Ph.D.

Hillsborough Community College, Ybor City Campus Co-Trustee, Zora Neale Hurston Trust

English, World Languages, and Cultures Studies Department Bethune-Cookman University

President Emerita

Chair

Lonnie Graham Associate Professor

Pennsylvania State University, University Park

M. J. Hewitt, Ph.D.

Retired Fine Arts Consultant/Curator Los Angeles

Stephen Caldwell Wright, Ph.D. Retired

Seminole State College, Sanford

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Z O R A ! 2 0 1 7 / F E S T I VA L L E A D E R S H I P

Key Persons Management Team

These members are the "on the grounds" festival leaders.

Consultants

Terri Vismale-Morris New Ideas & Images Adrienne Noel Marketing Minds at Work Julia Brown JEBA Media Opus Local Web Development Jamilah Sabur Fine Arts/Master Crafts Lane Kerry Charles Volunteers Coordinator Maye St. Julien Interiors

Executive Staff

Gwen Covington Administration & Sponsor-Relations Ruford Shepherd Physical Plant Lester Cunningham Yards & Gardens & Culinary Cynthia Haywood Festival Support

Volunteer Managers

Robert Boston Outdoor Festival – V.I.P. Relations Jeanette Brown Museum Support Rovenia Certain HATitude Party & Lunch Louise Franklin Sunday Morning Worship Service Mallory Jordan Festival Support for Special Assignments Cynthia C. Lee Museum Operations Gracie Mitchell Transportation Diane Reed, Ph.D. ZOR A! Education Day (ZED Initiative) Dorothy Shabazz Children's Corner (Middle School +) Jacqueline Walters Representing Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc.,

Children's Corner Evans Reaves Representing Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc., Special Assignments in support of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority

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A GATHERING OF CHIEFS

The ZORA! Festival requires a broad range of collaborative partnerships, most prominent being the close working relationship between the Association to Preserve the Eatonville Community, Inc. (P.E.C.), the Festival organizer and the Town of Eatonville, which serves as the location for the 3-day Outdoor Festival of the Arts. Guests from around the state, from across the nation, and from around the world to Zora's historic hometown. At a recent planning meeting, the breadth of the collaborative effort could be seen by those pictured.

Standing (L-R): Deputy Chief Joe Jenkins and Lt. Eric McIntyre, Eatonville Police Department, Will Matts, Maitland Fire Department, Robert Nelson, Entertainment Logistics Consulting, Gwen Covington, Festival Executive Assistant and Sponsor Relations Executive, Gerrile Robinson, G & R Security, Coolidge Hargrett, Festival Public Safety Liaison, and Ruford Shepherd, Physical Plan Manager Seated (L-R): Reggie Lewis, Entertainment Logistics Consulting, Inc., Diane Reed, Ph.D., ZORA! Education Day (ZED) Executive Manager, Cynthia Davis( in red), Queen Tickets, Inc., N. Y. Nathiri, P.E.C. Executive Director, Kerry Charles (in black), Volunteers Coordinator; and Carolyn Atkins, Museum Associate for Patron Services and Outreach Activities.

zora's cosmos mobile tour Focus: Yards & Gardens of Historic Eatonville

Wednesday, January 25, 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM *Ticket required

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ROLLINS COLLEGE

IS a PROUD host of

COMMUNITIES CONFERENCE

Civic Conversations Concerning 21st Centur y American Life in Communities of Color

2017 ZORA! FESTIVAL rollins.edu/history

ZORA! Festival 2017 and Rollins College Present

communities conference: civic conversations CONCERNING 21ST CENTURY AMERICAN LIFE FOR COMMUNITIES OF COLOR JANUARY 26 - 28, 2017

In recognition of the 130th anniversary of the Incorporation of Historic Eatonville, known popularly as “the oldest incorporated African American municipality in the United States,” (Zora Neale Hurston, Dust Tracks on a Road, p. 1 [paraphrased]), the Association to Preserve the Eatonville Community, Inc. (P.E.C.), presenter of the annual ZORA! Festival, in partnership with Rollins College, has organized the festival’s first-ever national conference. Its objective is to explore issues and concerns which occur, over and over, in communities of color and to determine ways of improving the quality of life for those persons who reside in them.

For additional information, please visit www.communitiesconference.net

Charles M. Blow

Featured Presenter

Columnist, The New York Times

Charles M. Blow is the Visual Op-Ed columnist for The New York Times, where his twice weekly columns tackle hot-button issues such as teen pregnancy, the national debt, the presidential race, gender roles, and the gay rights movement. Blow joined The Times in 1994; during his tenure he led the publication to win awards for work that included its information graphics coverage of 9/11 and the Iraq War. Mr. Blow is a CNN contributor and also often appears on MSNBC’s Morning Joe as well as numerous radio programs.

He is author of the bestselling memoir, Fire Shut Up in My Bones, a bravely personal classic of African American storytelling from the South.

Khalil G. Muhammad, Ph.D. Topic: Appreciating the Historical Context

Professor of History, Race and Public Policy, Harvard University Suzanne Young Murray Professor, Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Studies

Khalil Gibran Muhammad is professor of History, Race and Public Policy at Harvard Kennedy School and the Suzanne Young Murray Professor at the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Studies.

He is the former Director of the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, a division of the New York Public Library and the world’s leading library and archive of global history. Khalil’s research focuses on racial criminalization in modern U.S. History. Much of his work has been featured in national print and broadcast media outlets, including the New York Times, New Yorker, Washington Post, NPR, Moyers and Company, and MSNBC.

Eleanor Traylor, Ph.D. Community Talk

Professor Emerita, Howard University

Dr. Eleanor W. Traylor, Professor Emerita, Howard University is an acclaimed scholar and critic in African American literature and criticism. She obtained a B.A. from Spelman College, a M.A. from Atlanta University, and a Ph.D. from Catholic University. Not exclusively an academician, she has maintained national and local ties via her advisory roles for organizations such as the D.C. Repertory Theater Company, the Duke Ellington School for the Performing Arts, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the National Endowment for the Humanities.

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zora! golf tournament

MetroWest Golf Course Friday, January 27 *Registration required

Proceeds fund the ZORA! STEM Initiative - Academic Support for Students Historically Under-represented in the Fields of Science, Technology, Engineering and Math

HATitude PARTY & BRUNCH

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Maitland Civic Center

Saturday, January 28, 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM

Di

re

ne Y ct o f Ni rk rom gh t Ci O ty nl y

O

Ne w r fo

P R E S E N T S

ZORA NEALE HURSTON a

t h e a t r i c a l

b i o g r a p h y

LAURENCE HOLDER

by ELIZABETH VAN DYKE*

JOSEPH LEWIS EDWARDS*

Richard Harmon Costumes Gail Cooper-Hecht lighting Shirley Prendergast Sound/projections Bill Toles Technical Director Anthony Davidson Asstistant Stage Manager ROSITA TIMM* fit Dramaturg Arminda Thomas Stage Manager Bayo* Bene cial or Set

A Spe mance f *MEMBERS r n Perfo ssociatio A thedirected by The rve y rese P munit m o t e Co l il v n .)

Eato c. (P.E.C In

directed by

of Actors’ Equity Association

WOODIE KING, JR

WOODIE KING, JR.

January 27th 2017

Alexis & Jim Pugh Theater

Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts 455 S. Magnolia Ave., Orlando, FL 32801

Benefit Tickets: $78.75 and $103.75 Limited Platinum VIP tickets are available at $128.75 Includes: Post-Show Meet & Greet with Ms. Van Dyke and Mr. Edwards. Patron’s program will be autographed by the actors at the Meet & Greet Tickets available December 19 at the

Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts www.drphillipscenter.org

ZORA NEALE HURSTON

Please secure your valet parking online in advance of the show, as the a two t hvisiting e a t shows r i c a that l bnight. i o g r a p h y Dr Phillips Center for the Performing Arts hosts

LAURENCE HOLDER

by ELIZABETH VAN DYKE* JOSEPH LEWIS EDWARDS* Ford Foundation; New York State Council on the

Major funding for Zora Neale Hurston is provided in part by Set Richard Harmon James Costumes Cooper-Hecht Arts/A State Agency; NYC Department of Cultural Affairs/New York City Council Committee, Van Gail Bramer, Chairman; Shubert Foundation; Louis & Anne Abrons Foundation; Normandie Foundation; 42nd Street Development lighting Shirley Prendergast Sound/projections Bill Toles Corporation; Interpublic Group; Paulette and Denzel Washington; Samuel L. And LaTanya Richardson Jackson Technical Director Anthony Davidson Asstistant and Stage Manager ROSITA TIMM* contributions from other corporations, foundations and individuals.

Dramaturg

Arminda Thomas

Stage Manager

Bayo*

*MEMBERS of Actors’ Equity Association

directed by

WOODIE KING, JR

Festival 2017 ~ Friday, January 27, 9:00 AM—5:00 PM

“Education Day” - ZED in Historic Eatonville

Free & Open to Children & Adults “Outdoor Classroom” Provides Wonderful Learning Environment for the Arts & Culture, History & Heritage and Science Technology Engineering Math (STEM)” Arts & Culture 

Sharon Draper, author of Stellar by Starlight Time: 10:00 AM Location: Center Stage Historic Robert Hungerford High School Campus To view the curriculum guide to Stella by Starlight go to: http://sharondraper.com/stella-common-core.pdf.

Funded by Orange County Library System 

Prof. Fred Williams, Creative Writing Workshop for High School Students

(Limited to 30 students)

Time: 9:00 AM - 12:00 Noon Location: Community Room, Eatonville Branch, Orange County Library Designed for students interested in the creative writing process. 

Make And Take Tent Curriculum –based arts and crafts activities (Pre-K through Grade 5)

Previous ZORA! Education Day Participants Endorsed by Orange County Public Schools (OCPS) December 9, 2016 Memo to all Principals

Time: 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM

from Monica Emery, Director of Secondary Curriculum and Instruction

Location: Outdoor Classroom Kennedy Blvd., Eatonville 



Curated by Miami-based Artist

ZORA! STEM Education Day provides a science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) opportunity to students who are traditionally underrepresented in STEM fields. Its purpose is to engage, inspire, and expose them to Science, Technology, Engineering and Math and to have them think about a career in a STEM field.

Jamilah Sabur Time: 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM Location: Outdoor Classroom, Kennedy Blvd.

Fine Arts & Master Crafters Lane

History and Heritage 

Back in the Day: Reflections of Historic Eatonville Exhibition Maye St. Julien, Curator; Chair-Eatonville Historic Preservation Board.

Location: The HurstonTM Museum



Additional Activities

HostDime.com, Inc. is a global data center infrastructure provider, located right here in Eatonville. Part of that infrastructure is a worldclass data center.



ZORA! STEM Booth

January 27th, 2017 (For teachers and home school students)

Presenting Sponsor

ZORA 2017 Festival Season

“Tuesday Bash” January 10, 2017 6:00 - 8:00 PM The Hurston Museum, 227 East Kennedy Blvd.

Eatonville

FREE and Open to Public Enjoy Light Refreshments



Buy your $65 V.I.P. Ticket to the Whispers & Outdoor Festival of the Arts, Saturday, January 28 AND Enter the Drawing to win a V.I.P. Table of 8, to include: Up-front seating, food, and 2 adult beverages per person.



Tickets on sale NOW-Queen Tickets, 1-855-636-0550 or QueenTickets.com.

For additional information and questions, please contact Jeff Hancock, Sr. Administrator for K-12 Science at Jeffery.hacock@ocps.net or STEM Program Specialist, Jennifer Borges at Jennifer.Borges@ocps.net.

Candace Finley, designer; Lead ZORA! STEM Teacher-The Association to Preserve the Eatonville Community, Inc. (P.E.C.) and Science Teacher, Robinswood Middle School (OCPS).

For additional information contact: Carolyn Atkins, 407-647-3307 or email docent@preserveeatonville.org

“Tuesday Bash” Celebrates Zora’s Birthday & Kicks Off

To register, please fill out the Google Form for the school and download the Photo Release document for each student to complete. Registration Ends on  January 6, 2017

HostDime would like to invite students in middle school and high school to join us and learn about what a data center is, how it fits into technology overall and what types of employment opportunities are available right in your back yard when you’re ready to enter the workforce.

(First Come First Serve , Limited Space)

Tours: 10:00 AM, 11 AM, 12PM, 1PM, 2 PM, 3PM and 4 PM.

John Leon, ZED Creative Manager

High Schools: 8:00 am to 1:00 pm

Location: Historic Robert Hungerford High School Campus

STEM

Thomas “T.” Jenkins, AED Creative Producer

Middle Schools: 10:00 am to 3:00 pm

Yards & Gardens of Historic

HostDime Center Tours

Palmer Reed, ZED Creative Director

Elementary Schools: 9:00 am to 2:00 pm

* All activities organized by grade level.

For Lesson Plans which can assist in preparing students for this field trip experience, contact Carolyn Atkins at 407-647-3307 or email docent@preserveeatonville.org.

ZED Personnel Diane Reed, Ph.D., Executive Manager

Schools are able to participate during the following hours:

The Florida Historical Society Booth

Location: Eatonville Demonstration Booth



ZORA! STEM Education Day

Fine Arts and Master Crafters

Rules Governing the Drawing: 

Must have purchased a ticket no later than 7:30 EST, January 10

Scheduled Demonstrations:



Must be 21 years Old



10:00 AM, 3D Art





12:00 PM (Noon), DNA Necklace

Purchaser does NOT need to be present to win



2:00 PM, Paper Circuits



Excluded from the Drawing: Board Members, Staff & Paid Consultants of the Association to Preserve the Eatonville Community, Inc. (P.E.C.)

Location: Healthy Lifestyles Pavilion (Outside Gymnasium) Historic Robert Hungerford High School Campus

Community Partner Sponsors

Collaborative Partners

THE WHISPERS One of R&B music's most beloved and consistently popular vocal groups, The Whispers, began their legendary and timeless career in 1963. Twin brothers Walter and Wallace Scott joined with friends Nicholas Caldwell, Marcus Hutson, and Gordy Harmon to form a local singing group. They perfected their tight harmonies on the street corners in the Watts section of Los Angeles and in nightclubs in the in the San Francisco/ Oakland Bay Area. Their vocal style harkens back to a more genteel era of crooning, preferring soft pillow talk and songs that speak to heartfelt emotions. In the 1990s, The Whispers joined the Capitol Records family releasing more favorites. Expanding their creative horizons, brothers Walter and Scotty cut "My Brothers Keeper", a critically acclaimed duet album in 1993, scoring another R&B hit with a cover of the Intruders' "I Wanna Know Your Name." "Toast to the Ladies" released in 1995 featured a collection of love songs dedicated to women all over the world.

THE WHISPERS

JONATHAN BUTLER A life well lived is often the best foundation for compelling art and there’s no denying Jonathan Butler has been blessed with a fascinating life. A South African native whose expansive musical gift has earned accolades in the R&B, contemporary jazz and gospel fields, Butler’s new release Grace and Mercy is filled with the soulful sounds and insightful lyrics fans have come to expect from the veteran performer.

A key word in Butler’s life is balance and after years of touring the globe, he’s learned just how important time away from the spotlight can be. “These days I try to do a little bit of living in between. I balance my life,” he shares.

“I’ve got to spend time living, and through living you come up with stories to talk about and songs to write.

These songs are personal experiences. People always assume that because you’re a recording artist and you travel the world that you don’t have problems and you don’t have disappointments in your life, which is not true. We all do. This album truthfully and honestly lets people know that the songs that I’m writing are the things that I’m going through in this season. I’m hoping those songs will effect people in a positive and wonderful way.”

JONATHAN BUTLER January 2017

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Z O R A ! 2 0 1 7 F E S T I VA L / A C K N O W L E D G E M E N T S

ON THESE PAGES, THE ASSOCIATION TO PRESERVE THE EATONVILLE COMMUNITY, INC. (P.E.C.) , PRESENTER OF THE 28TH ANNUAL ZORA NEALE HURSTON™ FESTIVAL OF THE ARTS AND HUMANITIES (ZORA!™ FESTIVAL), EXPRESSES ITS SINCERE APPRECIATION FOR THE CASH AND IN-KIND SUPPORT PROVIDED BY THESE SPONSORS.

PRESENTING

SPONSOR

COMMUNITY PARTNERS

O ffice

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of the

Provost

January 2017

ZORA! Festival 2017 is funded in part by Orange County Government through the Arts & Cultural Affairs Program

ADDITIONAL SUPPORT

FURTHER SUPPORT

MARKETING PARTNERS

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Z O R A ! 2 0 1 7 F E S T I VA L / A C K N O W L E D G E M E N T S

P.E.C.'S COLLABORATIVE PARTNERS HAVE ALLOWED ZORA! FESTIVAL 2017 TO PROVIDE A TRULY OUTSTANDING ARRAY OF ARTS, ARTS EDUCATION, HERITAGE AND HISTORY-BASED OFFERINGS FOR STUDENTS AND ADULTS ALIKE.

COLLABORATIVE PARTNERS

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COLLABORATIVE PARTNERS

ST. LAWRENCE

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ZORA neale hurston celebrating the 125TH BIRTHDAY OF

the 2016 calendar: months of intellectual and creative energy driven by zora neale hurston

ABOUT ZORA NEALE HURSTON Probably the most significant collector and interpreter of Southern, African American culture, Zora Neale Hurston (1891 - 1960) is the dominant female voice of the Harlem Renaissance era. In her works, she celebrates her hometown, Eatonville, as representative of the dignity and beauty of rural Southern African American life and culture. A consummate storyteller, she brings to her readers an authenticity based on her primary research.

Zora has enjoyed a revival of interest since the 1970s due in large part to the work of Pulitzer-winning

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author Alice Walker; Robert Hemenway, her literary biographer; and most recently, Valerie Boyd's biography Wrapped in Rainbows.

Her legacy is a phenomenon which has undergone remarkable development and expansion in recent decades, embracing among others, topics in ethnic identity, social interaction, feminist theory and cultural continuity. Her unique insights into folklore, performance and creative expression have invited new interpretation and inspired imitation, while the corpus of her work has grown as a result of research and discovery.

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T H E PA S T Y E A R C E L E B R AT I N G Z O R A / A L O O K B A C K A GLOBAL ICON RECEIVES HER "JUST DESSERTS" -- CELEBRATING 125 YEARS Homemade cake and hand-churned ice cream, authentic traditions in her historic hometown, Eatonville, Florida -- An appropriate way to mark Zora's 125th Birthday on January 7 -- And, equally appropriate to close the year, a symposium and theatrical performance in one of the world's cultural capitals, New York City. In between: the 27th festival named in her honor; a Women's History Month event; a cruise tracing her Caribbean footprints; a Zora Neale Hurston Society program; and a museum exhibition.

happy birthday ,

ZORA

Top photo: Board members of the Association to Preserve the Eatonville Community (P.E.C.), the organization which presents the annual Zora Neale Hurston Festival of the Arts and Humanities (ZORA! Festival): Joshua Smith-Benson, PharmD., Ava K. Doppelt, Esq., Tiffany Sanders, Marie-JosÊ François, M.D., Jacinta Mathis, Esq., and Orange County Arts Administrator Terry Olson (aka "Chief Arts Instigator")

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dinner inspired by

ZORA

Author Fred Opie, Ph.D., Zora Neale Hurston on Florida Food at "Dinner Inspired by Zora"

(L-R) Alice Morgan Grant, manager of P.E.C.'s Excellence Without Excuse (E-WE) Community Computer Arts Lab & Learning Center, with STEM student, Cherry Vanilla Anderson and her mother

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T H E PA S T Y E A R C E L E B R AT I N G Z O R A / A L O O K B A C K

ZORA

under the stars COMMUNITY & UNIVERSITY THEATRICAL PRODUCTIONS: ZORA UNDER THE STARS AT MACEDONIA MISSIONARY BAPTIST CHURCH IN EATONVILLE AND SPUNK THEATRE UCF Spunk and the Harlem Literati, An Adaptation by Be Boyd, Theatre UCF

An evening of "tall tales," courtesy of Zora's researches

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in conversation: the Zora Neale Hurston we remember AN EXCERPT:

It is with great pleasure that we partner with The Association to Preserve the Eatonville Community, Inc. (P.E.C.) in their continuing work to preserve the legacy that inspired Zora Neale Hurston. In supporting their efforts we put into action our mission of teaching students to be global citizens and responsible leaders. We recognize their commitment to promoting an understanding of Zora Neale Hurston serves as a window on the legacy of social, political, and economic aspiration that motivated African Americans for generations. This year's theme "Reflections on the Global Legacy of The highlight of the 27th Annual ZORA! Festival was "In Conversation: The Zora Neale Hurston I Remember," which featured Dr. Clifford Hurston, Jr., her nephew; Mrs. Vivian Hurston Bowden, her niece; and Mrs. Ella Johnson Dinkins, a daughter of Mrs. Addie Gramling Johnson, the Eatonville friend of Zora Neale Hurston. In keeping with "history," this session was held on the campus of Rollins College in Winter Park, where Zora received valuable assistance in the launch of her career.

In the photo, Dr. Julian Chambliss (L), Chair of the History Department and Coordinator of the Africa and African American Program, joins Mrs. Dinkins, Mrs. Bowden and Dr. Hurston for this historic photo op.

Zora Neale Hurston on the Occasion of Her 125th Birthday" resonates with our faculty and excites our students.

Julian C. Chambliss, "Welcome," "In Conversation: The Zora Neale Hurston I Remember" program.

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T H E PA S T Y E A R C E L E B R AT I N G Z O R A / A L O O K B A C K

ZORA'S

cosmos mobile tour Eatonville & Beyond

Top photo: Tour docent, poet, and storyteller Valada Flewellyn and UCF Prof. Anthony Major, Program Director for Africana Studies and Zora Neale Hurston Institute for Documentary Studies Bottom photo: Veteran P.E.C. volunteer Gracie Mitchell (L) with "tour-ists"

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Top center photo: Valada Flewellyn with Louise Franklin at the Franklin Property, named by her father, Cheyenne, commemorating his Native American roots

Top right photo: Engaged "tour-ists"

"Tourists" at the Hurston

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T H E PA S T Y E A R C E L E B R AT I N G Z O R A / A L O O K B A C K

Top left: Palmer Reed, 2nd generation ZORA! Festival participant/volunteer

Bottom Left: Ben's House of Music, a ZORA! Festival Vendor "Regular"

Top center: Grambling, LA Mayor Ed Jones with his granddaughter

Center: A Shopper's Paradise

The Isley Brothers

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ZORA's

outdoor festival LOTS going on!

Max Johnson, "The Bob Barker" of the ZORA! Outdoor Festival of the Arts

Middle photo: Public Radio, "In the house"

Ron Rogers, President of 100 Black Men of Orlando (I), with then- Eatonville COuncilman Rodney Daniels

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T H E PA S T Y E A R C E L E B R AT I N G Z O R A / T H E Z O R A ! C R U I S E

We had 77 attendees

from 15 states cruising with

ZORA

Andrea Abrams

Ben Brotemarkle, Ph.D.

Gail Corley

Leslie Abrams

Chris Brotemarkle

Adam Feinstein

Andrea Stephens Allen

Una Brown

Ruth Gale Fitzgerald

Joseph Edward Allen

Martha Brown

Sharon Floyd

Carolyn Atkins

Daphne Carter

Carl-Henry François, Ph.D.

Rosalind Atkins

Rovenia Certain

Marie-Josè François, Ph.D.

Juanita Barton

Rudolph Certain

Josephine Fulcer-Anderson

Francene Bellamy

Sally H. Childs

Brenda Gilbert

Sandra Bonser

Sheryl Cole

Alberta Godfrey

Danville, KY Albany, GA

Cocoa, FL

Beaufort, SC Beaufort, SC

Eatonville, FL

Mims, FL

Orlando, FL

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Bowie, MD

Windermere, FL Windermere, FL

Chicago, IL

ZORA!

Bronx, NY

St. Petersburg, FL

Milton, GA

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Cocoa, FL

Lakeland, FL

Jacksonville, FL

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Ocala, FL

Ormond Beach, FL St. Petersburg, FL Saginaw, MI

Lake Mary, FL Lake Mary, FL Norwalk, CT Deltona, FL Miami, FL

Emma Harris Evetta Harris Titusville, FL

Betty Hart, Ph.D. Mt. Vernon, ID

Mary Hodges Moselle Jackson Riviera Beach, FL

Ishray Jones Stamford, CT

Johnnie Kerr

Miami Gardens, FL

Cynthia King Sherri King Anthony Kuyendall Inglewood, CA

Lyndsey Kuyendall Inglewood, CA

TM

Festiv Sat

In recog Eatonville’ iss in commu forward for

Tracing the Caribbean Footprints Zora Neale of Hurst A 125th Birt hday Comme on: morative Cru ise April 10-17, 2016

Fo

A Presenta tion by tion To Pres er ve the Ea tonville Comm 227 East Ke unity nnedy Boul evard Eatonville, Florida 3275 1-5303 FEIN: 59-295 2662 www.preser veeatonville .org • www.histor iceatonville .org

• In

The Associa

Lynne Kuyendall

Amanda Merker

Barbara Hurston Lewis

Charlene Mitchell

Inglewood, CA

Hazelwood, MO

Karen M. Lewis Hazelwood, MO

Marie Lindor Lake Mary, FL

Barbara Loyd Orlando, FL

Lanetta Lyons Los Angeles, CA

Marlene Mackey Mableton, GA

Timothy Mackey Mableton, GA

Anthony Major Orlando, FL

Ormond Beach, FL

Bobby Jean Root

Louisville, KY

Devin Robinson

Miami Gardens, FL

Doris Robinson

Merritt Island, FL

Juanita Hailey Sanders

Beaufort, SC

Ruthe Sheffey, Ph.D.

Beaufort, SC

Phyllis Smith

Bartow, FL

Monica Pitter

Francine Stanback

Bartow, FL

Leola R. Posley

Rosalie Ray Stroman

Miramar, FL

Detroit, MI

Grace Mitchell Orlando, FL

Henry Moore Cocoa, FL

Tracy Moore Cocoa, FL

N. Y. Nathiri Eatonville, FL

Cheryl A. Nelson Jacksonville, FL Titusville, FL

Elizabeth Reiser Minneapolis, MN

Snellville, GA

Titusville, GA Orlando, FL

Baltimore, MD Titusville, FL

Philadelphia, PA Titusville, FL

For m

Erica Sutton

Christele Robinson Snellville, GA

Proceed

Jeanette Tullis Beatrice Turpin-Peek Barbara Morgan Washington Fred Samuel Washington, Jr. Geraldine O. Watson George W. Watson Esther R. Withers Elizabeth Young Trenton, NJ

Francina Young

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T H E PA S T Y E A R C E L E B R AT I N G Z O R A / T H E Z O R A ! C R U I S E

Page 42: Group shot of previous ZORA! Festival attendees Page 42: (L) Carolyn Atkins, P.E.C. staffer with Juanita Hailey Sanders Top photo: ZORA! cruisers with school children in Jamaica Bottom photo: ZORA! Cruise winner Adam Feinstein with companion Amanda Merker

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Center photo: Zora Harlem Night with Drs. Franรงois

Right photo: (L-R) N. Y. Nathiri, with cruise presenters, Prof. Anthony Major, Ruthe T. Sheffey, Ph.D., Professor Emerita, Morgan StateUniversity, Ben Brotemarkle, Ph.D., Florida Historical Society

ZORA! Cruise P.E.C. President's Dinner Table

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T H E PA S T Y E A R C E L E B R AT I N G Z O R A / A L O O K B A C K

ZatOMorgan RA State University

Z R O A at the Barnard

College Symposium

This Zora Neale Hurston Society is the first such scholarly association on behalf of Hurston on an American college and/or university campus and should be noted as such.

Dr. Ruthe T. Sheffey founded the Zora Neale Hurston Society at Morgan, "a first" on American and/or university campus.

Professor Major and N. Y. Nathiri presented on June 6, 2016 at Morgan State University in Baltimore, Maryland

ZORA

at the Enzian

In Celebration of a Women's History Month Film and Panel, the P.E.C. and the Enzian Theater Collaborate to present You Belong To Me: Sex, Race and Murder in the South "Over sixty years ago a murder rocked Live Oak, Florida and awakened the nation. Today, the ghosts still remain."

Zora Neale Hurston covered the trial of Ruby McCullom for The Pittsburgh Courier, one the country's leading African American newspapers.

After the screening, three panelists, Prof.

Deleso Alford, LL.M., Florida A & M University; Dean Lisa Barkley, MD, FAAFP, UCF College of Medicine; and M. C. Santana, Ph.D., Director of Women's and Gender Studies, UCF, brought a topical perspective to the film.

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Honors Eatonville and the 2016 Zora Neale Hurston Festival CENTRAL FLORIDA helped create the UCF College of Medicine, so it is fitting that the college is giving back to the community through education, research, patient care and service.

This year, the M.D. program has more than 450 students, – a 10-fold increase in just six years. In May, we will graduate our fourth class of UCF-trained physician Knights. Our Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences is training tomorrow’s scientists, with almost 3,000 students in undergraduate, master’s and doctoral programs. The Burnett School’s medical research focuses on the diseases that plague humanity – cancer, cardiovascular, neurodegenerative and infectious diseases.

The College of Medicine’s physician practice, UCF Health, provides primary care and specialties under one roof at two locations – University Boulevard blocks from the main UCF campus and in our new Medical City location.

Here, the experts training tomorrow’s physicians care for patients across our community. To schedule an appointment or learn more, please visit UCFHealth.com or call 407-266-DOCS (3627).

The UCF College of Medicine, the medical school that belongs to us all.

med.ucf.edu

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T H E H U R S T O N N AT I O N A L M U S E U M O F F I N E A R T S

Celebrating Zora Neale Hurston's 12th Birthday and Remembering the Ancestors of Eatonville

The journey projects in eatonville

Photo courtesy of the Vera King Collection.

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The Artist's Statement: Lynn Marshall-Linnemeier

The Curator's Statement: Jerushia Graham

Upon arriving in Eatonville I expected to find stories and memories reminiscent of the ones Ms. Hurston experienced and, I did.

Lynn Marshall-Linnemeier was the first artisti to come to mind when I was invited to serve as curator for the 2016 exhibition calendar at The Zora Hurston Museum of Fine Arts. Her work straddles the worlds of Fine Art, Ancestral remembrance, and Anthropology. Much like Hurston, Linnemeier moves easily between various strata of society, drawing people toward her charisma and curiosity, embracing their truths, recording their stories and honoring their ancestors.

I searched for Big Sweet and she appeared in the form of Rosyln Thomas Burgmon, who truly knows everybody, and we crisscrossed from one end of Eatonville to the next hanging out in living rooms, kitchens and Eatonville's lone tavern, Boswells.

I taught children at Hungerford and the E-We Lab about Ms. Hurston's adventures and her songs. I encouraged them to "Jump at the sun."

I spent beautiful days sewing, sewing with long time friend Sauda Jackson, her daughter Mimi, and new friend Giovannia Giles. I am so thankful for their help.

Eatonville is a special place. It is magical simply because it was founded on the notion of the self-determination and entrepreneurship at a time when segregation and discrimination were the order of the day. Eatonville survived and I am so honored to spend time here. I used to say that when I go to places, i don't make friends, I make "family" and so I did, in Eatonville.

As the first incorporated AfricanAmerican community in the country, the Journey Projects were destined to come to Eatonville. Lynn's unique approach to communal site-specific art-making focuses on the untold stories found within historically Black communities. Though Linnemeier does extensive research on each community, she encourages the work to emerge organically. She engages community members in candid conversations, seeks out local guides to navigate the social circles within the community and creates spaces for community participation in the creation of the imagery that will be included in the installation.

With this year being the 125th birthday of Zora Neale Hurston, it is fitting to present an exhibition that celebrates the community in which Zora developed into a headstrong, confident, trailblazer. Zora acknowledges as much in Dust Tracks on a Road.

"Like the dead-seeming, cold rocks, I have memories within that came out of the material that went to make me. Time and place have had their say. So you will have to know something about the time and place where I came from, in order that you may interpret the incidents and directions of my life.

I was born in a Negro town. I do not mean by that the black back-side of an average town.

Eatonville, Florida, is, and was at the time of my birth, a pure Negro town - charter, mayor, council, town marshal and all. It was not the first Negro community in America, but it was the first to be incorporated, the first attempt at organized self-government on the part of Negroes in America."

Zora Neale Hurston knew the magic of coming from such a place and immortalizing its charm in her literature. Now, Lynn MarshallLinnemeier has taken up the torch and created a piece worthy of Eatonville's legacy. I know Zora would be proud and we hope the community of Eatonville is pleased as well.

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T H E H U R S T O N N AT I O N A L M U S E U M O F F I N E A R T S

Cultural Renderings from the Island's Artists

REMEMBERING HAITI II

A SECOND EXHIBITIONS CELEBRATING THE 125TH ANNIVERSARY OF ZORA NEALE HURSTON'S BIRTH

Patrick Noze: The Curator's Statement A Collective Body of Work from 12 Haitian Artists These 12 Haitian artists were victims of the earthquake that rattled Haiti in January 2010. Their work captures the reality of the Haitian culture. This body of work is a representation of the culture. The individual artists are not given special recognition.

Instead, view their joint efforts and how their work collectively describes and captures a culture with vibrant colors, subliminal messages, and spiritual and mystical anomalies.

To understand Haitian art we must first understand its history.

Writers and philosophers describe Haitian art as vibrant and mystic. It is called “naif ”, a condescending description of any art type that a formal training or education was not achieved by the artist. Therefore the work does not have a sense of perspective or proportion. When compared with the word “primitive”, that describes European cave paintings, it is more positive. It describes how cave man conquered their fears by painting them on cave walls with the blood of the animals they killed in their hunts.

The works displayed, although Haitian art, is from trained artists whose vision exceeds the norm. In their work the word “naïf ” is non-existent. Instead their work can be described as brilliant not only in color but in intelligent compositions of subject matters that describe and capture their fears, hopes, and dreams. The ingredient that describes the body of work of these 12 Haitian artists is cultural depiction of a nation through Art. Their work represents the core of the Haitian culture, a direct product of the very soul of a country that has known all facets of life. From victorious wars, voodoo, dictatorship, and the forces of nature, all of which represent subject matters for the creative minds of these prolific artists.

The art work consists of ceremonies that represent the rituals of the culture, even a non-believer of the rituals being celebrated can understand what is being viewed. Most of the artists paint from dreams and they create subliminal images that transform the images, intertwining the shapes to an illusion of figurative and

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surrealist subject matters with a sense of the need to share more than just art, but a message.

History describes Haitian art as “tube paint”. The bright colors are described as accidental because the compositions are from an untrained artist. “Tube paint” means the artist does not have any knowledge of colors or how to mix primary colors to get secondary colors, or as compositions necessary to achieve brilliance or hue in a painting. The paint used on the canvas comes directly from the tube and is used in its purest form. When looking at the paintings, one will see blending of colors, colors completing one another. Vibrant color is not due to primary colors but the result of the artist’s surroundings forcing him to pre-mix and subconsciously mix colors on the canvas, for the art itself is not about knowledge of colors but its application.

The vibrant colors have come to identify Haitian art from across the globe. Haitian art is easily identified from its sculptures, wood carvings, to metal work. The art works represent a tool of survival, not only supporting oneself, but also in helping to keep the Haitian culture alive through their brush strokes and holding on to hope and daring to dream.

This exhibition, “REMEMBERING HAITI II”, celebrates Haitian art and remembers the endurance of the Haitian people.

Through these paintings their strengths, their courage, their joy and beliefs are celebrated. They are a landmark of Haiti’s complex visual traditions, a manifesto of the artists’ devotion to creative endeavors in the face of national adversity – restoring the spirit.

This exhibition is an important observation of Haitian art that demonstrates that despite Haiti’s turbulent and often bloody political and natural disasters, the country has developed a flourishing artistic tradition that speaks to the vitality of Haitian culture and the indomitable spirit of its people.

Patrick Cauvin Paliaso Acrylic on canvas 23.25 x 18 inches

Center left Gary Laurant Tripotaj Acrylic on canvas 24 x 20 inches Center right Emite Louisuis Machan Banan Acrylic on canvas 39.75 x 29.75 inches Bottom Jackson Day Repo Acrylic on canvas 35.75 x 24 inches

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LET T ERS / LET T ER FROM T H E SUP ERI NT ENDENT

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EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR'S REPORT

E X E C U T I V E D I R E C T O R ' S R E P O R T / S T E M I N I T I AT I V E

During FY 2016, P.E.C. Has Continued to Sharpen Its Focus on the ZORA! STEM Initiative and Cultural Tourism Development

educational excellellence

THE CENTER PIECE FOR PRESERVATION OF THE HISTORIC EATONVILLE COMMUNITY

Ultimately, the ability for Historic Eatonville to survive rests on the community's children achieving academic success. As a grassroots-based institution, P.E.C. recognizes and has experienced success in working with families who want to see their children advance. Traditionally, education has been very important to the people of Eatonville. The Robert Hungerford High School continues to be one of the most cherished institutions in the Town; and for two decades P.E.C. offered a Summer Performing Arts Workshop (SPAW ) for students in grades 1 - 8 which typically enrolled between 75 and 100 students in a program which was non-recreational.

For us at P.E.C., the long-term commitment to the ZORA! STEM Initiative -- ensuring that the cultural overlay is combined with the academic support necessary for students historically under-represented in the fields of science, technology, engineering and math -- simply reinforces our core value of "Educational Excellence."

P.E.C.'s lead science teacher is Candace Finley, a SPAW graduate, who, currently, is teaching at Robinswood Middle School in Orlando and pursuing a doctoral degree in STEM education.

A gifted teacher, she holds her students' attention with activities which challenge them mentally, while at the same time, demonstrating to them the real-life importance of the subjects they are studying.

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P.E.C. PARTNERS WITH VALENCIA COLLEGE, ORANGE COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS, ORLANDO SCIENCE CENTER, UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL FLORIDA, COLLEGE OF MEDICINE, AND THE NATIONAL CENTER FOR SIMULATION TO OFFER MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS AN INSPIRING DAY OF STEM-FOCUSED ACTIVITIES

Students, Serious about STEM: Examples of P.E.C.'s Six Weeks Summer Program offered at the Excellence Without Excuse (E)WE) Community Computer Arts Lab and Learning Center

MS. FINLEY HAS SOMETHING FOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS TOO! WHY STEM? -- "KEEPING IT REAL" FOR THE HIGH SCHOOL CROWD

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s.t.e

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e.m.

P.E.C. PARTNERS WITH VALENCIA COLLEGE, ORANGE COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS, ORLANDO SCIENCE CENTER, UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL FLORIDA, COLLEGE OF MEDICINE, AND THE NATIONAL CENTER FOR SIMULATION TO OFFER MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS AN INSPIRING DAY OF STEM-FOCUSED ACTIVITIES

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E X E C U T I V E D I R E C T O R ' S R E P O R T / C U LT U R A L D E V E L O P M E N T

P.E.C. Led Team's Effort to Secure National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) Planning Grant for the Historic Black Towns and Settlements Alliance (HBTSA)

P.E.C. CONTINUED ITS FOCUS ON CULTURAL TOURISM DEVELOPMENT THE CENTER PIECE FOR PRESERVATION OF THE HISTORIC EATONVILLE COMMUNITY

For the better part of a 15-month period, P.E.C.'s executive director and a Tampa-based museum professional Deborah Guglielmo served as the anchors for an ambitious project: The Historic Black Towns and Settlements Alliance would submit a planning grant application to the National Endowment for the Humanities on August 10, 2016.

Established in 2014 by "The Founding Five," mayors who presided over Tuskegee, Alabama, Hobson City, Alabama, Eatonville, Florida, Mound Bayou, Mississippi, and Gramling, Louisiana, the HBTSA seeks "to work collaboratively to actively preserve and promote the heritage, history and culture of these historic places by utilizing their human, environmental, built (engineering, landscape, architecture), arts, and humanities resources to nurture economic development and to

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support an enhanced quality of life for their residents, neighbors and fellow Americans.

Based on the HBTSA Strategic Planning Document, the organization plans to unveil a 4-state cultural tourism corridor informed by the humanities disciplines of history, folklore and literature in the Spring of 2019.

As stated in the application to the NEH, "a planning grant funded by the NEH would allow the organization to advance, substantially, its goal."

"America's Race Colonies: Exploring the History and Culture of Black Towns in the Lower South" is a project with an impressive roster of scholars and others who have lent their names to this undertaking, volunteering, in cases, hundreds of hours.

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The Association to Preserve the Eatonville Community, Inc. Management Consulting Report December 1, 2016 Rollins College Masters of Human Res Danielle Gal

ources Management

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P.E.C. STUDIED - EXECUTIVE BOARD RECEIVES REPORT

photographer Tadayuki "Tad" Hara

During the 2016 Fall semester, Rollins graduate student, Danielle Gal, on staff at the University of Central Florida, completed the final requirement for her masters degree in Human Resource Management, by conducting research on the Association to Preserve the Eatonville Community, Inc. (P.E.C.). On January 9, 2017, she delivered her findings in a 90-minute session to the P.E.C. executive board.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The Association to Preserve the Eatonville Community, Inc. (P.E.C.) was founded in 1987 as a social action organization. A group of 200 opposed a road widening project and advocated to protect the historical value of Eatonville, the oldest incorporated African-American municipality in the United States and the hometown of Zora Neale Hurston. As the organization matured, several programs in the areas of heritage, education, and cultural arts were added to the portfolio. Today, the organization stands at an interesting crossroads. The organization is envisioning development, expansion, and progress but must work around limited resources in terms of funds. Growth is an attainable goal but it necessitates a strategic road map and adequate infrastruc-

ture. The P.E.C. must lay organizational groundworks in order to experience heathy and sustainable growth for many years to come.

This report sets out to examine the current state of the organization, evaluating both internal and external aspects. The current state analysis is the base for strategic recommendations. The recommendations outlined in this report support overall growth. Some recommendations address strengthening of the existing infrastructure to promote growth, while other are devoted to vertical development. The recommendations span throughout all

functions of the business, starting with structural organizational recommendations. Further recommendations address marketing, financial management, information technology, and human resources.

Front row: (L-R) N. Y. Nathiri and Danielle Gal; Back row: (L-R) Marie JosÊ François, M.D., Guest Julian Chambliss, Ph.D., Harietta Finley White, Winifred "Chad" McKendrick, Tadayuki "Tad" Hara, Ph.D.

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EATONVILLE at a crossroads

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E AT O N V I L L E AT A C R O S S R O A D S

THE DEVELOPMENT OF HISTORIC EATONVILLE As Visioned in November 2001

PREPARED BY THE ASSOCIATION TO PRESERVE THE EATONVILLE COMMUNITY, INC. (P.E.C.)

Campus Concept Based on preliminary discussions, an “arts campus” concept was developed for the site. The Zora Neale Hurston Campus for the Arts & Humanities is conceived to be a muli-disciplinary center for scholars and artists celebrating the history of Eatonville and Zora Neale Hurston. The campus would potentially include places for artists to live and work, presentation spaces, theaters, a museum, conference center, and hotel among other uses. The campus is intended to be sensitively developed both in terms of the natural ecology of the site and the architectural of Eatonville.

Creating an “old Florida” experience.

The conceptual master plan is organized around developing a campus “village” on the eastern portion of the site closest to the historic center of Eatonville. The remaining portion of the site

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along Wymore Road, could be developed as commercial uses taking advantage of the site’s development potential, and its visibility from Wymore Road and Interstate 4. The commercial uses would be developed according to strict design standards that enhance the value of the site’s themed uses, giving value to the remaining property and protecting and buffering the arts campus.

The campus “village” is focused on Lake Wilderness extending and urban pattern of streets and blocks out from a lake park. This urban pattern is reminiscent of Eatonville’s own historic pattern and creates a “community” infrastructure of streets and parks for the campus. Primary vehicular access to the campus is provided via Wymore.

In association with: Glatting Jackson Kercher Anglin Lopez Rinehart, Inc.

REPORT FROM THE FIELD

An Interview with Walter R. Huntley, Jr. & Clara Axam At 8:15 a.m. on Wednesday, January 9, 2008, N. Y. Nathiri conducted a telephone interview with Walter R. Huntley, Jr. and Clara Axam, team members of Huntley Partners, Inc. the firm selected by the Town of Eatonville to conduct a feasibility study to identify and evaluate opportunities to enhance cultural tourism by engaging the arts and cultural history of Eatonville as stimulus for economic development…”

CLARA AXAM (CA)

[Excerpted from, “Presentation to Town of Eatonville/Association to Preserve the Eatonville Community, October 15, 2017]

And now to you, Walter Huntley.

N. Y. NATHIRI (NYN) First, let me thank you for taking time out of your busy schedules to speak with me. Talk, if you would, about your backgrounds.

Why don’t you begin, Clara Axam?

On the professional side, my work focuses on how the process side of programs/projects/initiatives I am concerned with an executable implementation plan. I want to know what will it take “no breathe life” into it; how to plan “real.” It’s been my experience that it is ownership, on the broadest possible basis, that is key for a concept to live and my work often involves an enhance a concept, or vision, to develop that broad basis of ownership.

NYN WALTER R. HUNTLEY (WH) I have had extensive background with government, having served at the highest levels in the late Mayor Maynard Jackson’s administration in Atlanta from 1974-1982. Later I headed the Atlanta Economic Development Corporation (AEDC) for ten years.

AEDC was the development arm for Atlanta; it represented a

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partnership between the public and private sector and was established to create and retain jobs in the city and then expand its tax base.

What I have found, throughout my career in the field of economic development is, everything gets back to financial implementation. My work focuses on my expertise in putting together the financing; in identifying the creative ways of bringing together the private sector/the nonprofit/government sectors to make a deal a reality.

I see economic development as “change” ----- for the better. In this type of work, in areas where there is slow growth or a downward trend, there has to be some incentive for public/private collaboration.

NYN Given your collective experience, what excites you about Eatonville?

CA I am excited about rich African American history that Eatonville represents, basically it is an untold story. There is such a richness in the community and it’s a starting point. Then, too, Zora Neale Hurston, is one of my favorite authors.

In Eatonville, you have history plus culture. In Zora, you have what she stands for; so, for me, Eatonville has a personal and literary connection.

WH For me, Eatonville is an icon. From the perspective of urban studies and urban government, you have in Eatonville a traditional Black town which is perfectly positioned. Eatonville has the Hungerford School and historic preservation credentials. In terms of economic development, it has location and visibility, being right off I-4 and close to Orlando. The time is right for Eatonville, with the Zora Neale Hurston brand that P.E.C. has developed.

NYN

CA First, there is no silver bullet, but what I have seen is Really about leadership --- across the board about quality teachers. There are certain elements to look for in reform model. They include an unchanging focus; a commitment to the discipline of process; being very specific with the plan concerning curriculum; and having the expectation that all children will learn. From what I can see, thus far, with Eatonville, you have a real opportunity to shape your school around the community’s history and culture. These two elements can become the curriculum focuses, if you will. You can utilize the Zora Neale Hurston literary connection as elements of reading and writing programs. You have assets in the ability to connect school and community which will take Eatonville to an even higher level. Of course, there must be accountability----in terms of the kinds of programs, academic achievement, and specific goals. Being successful in these areas would not only enhance the Eatonville community, but this success would attract others from outside the Eatonville community.

You would have built a state-of-the-art school based on literature and culture and history.

WH I want to build upon what Clara has said. You take the “ZOEA! Brand” and you utilize it to begin to identify “enrichment” experience which are year-round and which of beyond K/12 education. You look at curriculum in a broader sense, as “pan academy” where intellectual and creative activities serve as the real connection between history; culture and people. You look at artists-inresidence programs; But all of this has to be evaluated within a market contest. You have to have a blueprint, a road map.

You must know what needs to be done and the priority of the steps to be taken.

NYN It sounds like, then, you are saying that the feasibility study your firm has been selected to conduct will be “the first step in the rest of our lives.”

WH

Clara Axam, you have considerable experience with K/12 educaThat’s right. tion. Speak a bit, please, about what you have experience as necesNYN sary for low-achieving/non-achieving students to “turn around” Thanks to you both, again. their performance and their ability to succeed.

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Excerpts from the Huntley Partners Study Introduction and Overview The timeless stories of Eatonville, Florida’s native daughter, author Zora Neale Hurston, have been read and enjoyed by hundreds of thousands of people all over the world. Hurston’s novels, plays and essays are now required reading by many high schools and universities. Through her vivid stories and colorful characters, readers have become well acquainted with Hurston’s hometown of Eatonville, Florida, which forms the backdrop for many of Hurston’s bestknown works. A vast body of material—books, essays and films— about Hurston’s life and work now exists, as evidenced by the 750,000 references culled by a simple Google search.

The effect of Hurston’s international notoriety is that the Town of Eatonville, too, has become an internationally recognized town.

Thanks to Hurston, the stories of the founding families and the descendants of America’s first incorporated black town will be remembered, celebrated and passed down generations yet to come.

As a matter of economic opportunity for the Town of Eatonville, the legacies of Hurston and Eatonville offer a strong promotional and marketing vantage point from which to launch a comprehensive cultural heritage tourism initiative themed on Hurston and her hometown. In 2007, the leadership of the Town of Eatonville recognized the economic potential of developing such a sustainable cultural tourism initiative and determined that the time was right to launch an intentional study of feasibility of the opportunity.

The government and citizens of the Town of Eatonville formed a planning committee and secured state funding to undertake a comprehensive tourism planning study with the intent of defining a strategy and context for the implementation of major cultural tourism development which would support the revitalization and economic development of the Town of Eatonville.

Based on the assessments and the analyses, Huntley Partners concluded that the Town of Eatonville indeed has significant historical and cultural assets and facilities that could be organized and interpreted to promote the Town of Eatonville as a major tourist destination. Further, the cultural tourism initiative should be strategically tailored to stimulate new development, an opportunity that can be leveraged to revitalize the Town of Eatonville and significantly promote the economic development of the Town.

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Diagram from the "Paving the Dusty Road" presentation

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IN MEMORIAM / RUF US BROOKS

rufus clinton brooks November 3, 1927 – February 25, 2016

EDUCATOR, CITIZEN ACTIVIST, FRIEND TO THE ASSOCIATION TO PRESERVE THE EATONVILLE COMMUNITY, INC. (P.E.C.)

Mr. Brooks' life was emblematic of the "American/African American Dream."

He came from a family of migrant farmers and was the first in his family to attend college, where he took math and science courses, a "pre-med" curriculum. His master's degree was in Education Science. He worked in the field from the mid1950s until 1990.

Not only was Mr. Brooks a master teacher, he was a masterful educator. He came from that tradition of African American educators who recognized their roles as community leaders with an ethical obligation to use their training to advance "the race." Thus, for Mr. Brooks, "each and every day" represented a "teachable moment," whether that be taking a group of youngsters from one of Orlando's "inner city" neighborhoods to Downtown Orlando (a place they had never been) or, if necessary, suing the school board of Orange County (Florida).

Mr. Brooks was a life-long member of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People ("The N 'Double A' C.P.) during the time when the organization was in the

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vanguard of waging the legal battles to secure rights for African Americans. He was "the advocate's advocate." If there were a righteous cause, there was no better friend than he.

Therefore, for those who knew him, it would be no surprise that he would embrace the mission of the Association to Preserve the Eatonville Community, which in its formative years, had to focus on protecting Historic Eatonville from a community-busting "road improvement" project.

Not only did Mr. Brooks "talk the talk," he "walked the walk," which meant that when this fledging 501(c) 3 began organizing its first Zora Neale Hurston Festival of the Arts in January 1990, without hesitation, he made his credit card available to secure some of the costly infra-structure essential to the event.

We, at P.E.C., are grateful for for his energy and wisdom.

N. Y. Nathiri

&

2018: P.E.C.'s 30th Anniversary 2019: ZORA! Festival 30th Anniversary

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C A L L F O R A C A D E M I C PA P E R S

TM

festival 2017

call for academic papers In acknowledging Zora Neale Hurston’s spiritual and intellectual engagement with the many “folks” who populate the American South and its Caribbean environs, The Association to Preserve the Eatonville Community, Inc. (P.E.C.), sponsor to the ZORA! Festival, invites proposals for papers that consider the historical or contemporary contact/influences between the African Diaspora and Latino/a, Native American, Creole, Gullah, Haitian, and Jamaican cultural communities.

In the tradition of academic excellence, scholars are encouraged to engage the literature and discourse of their respective fields at the same time that they present their findings during the Public Forum in a form that is accessible to academics in other disciplines and is also intellectually stimulating for an intelligent general audience.

SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS Please submit electronically an abstract of 300 - 500 words in English that indicates the thesis or central question which you plan to explore. Please submit the abstract to both of the addresses below.

Cycle VI: Global Dimensions of the Zora Neale Hurston™ Cultural Ethos Festivals 2015–2019 2015: Rhythms of the Diaspora – Presentations of performances and public talks on the music created and influenced by people of African ancestry Saturday, January 24 – Sunday, February 1 2016: The initial event of a year-long commemoration of the 125th anniversary of Zora Neale Hurston’s birth; events scheduled throughout the state and nationally

DEADLINES AND NOTIFICATION

Saturday, January 23 – Sunday, January 31

Your deadline for submission is Saturday, April 1, 2017 and you will receive notification of the decision on Monday, June 5, 2017. Accepted papers in full form are due by Friday, November

2017: “Zora’s Eatonville” at the 130th year of The Town’s incorporation

The Association to Preserve the Eatonville Community will pursue a publication of the proceedings post-ZORA! Festival 2018.

Saturday, January 21 – Sunday, January 29

SUBMISSION

2018: Cross-Cultural Explorations: Folklore, Literature, Music, Philosophy/ Religion and Theater

Please submit the abstract to both of the addresses below ny@preserveeatonville.org office@preserveeatonville.org

Saturday, January 20 – Sunday, January 28 2019: ZORA!™ Festival at Year 30 –Collaborative Conferences with the Collegium for African American Research (C.A.A.R.) Saturday, January 26 – Sunday, February 3

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join THE ZORA! CIRCLE OF FRIENDS What is the ZORA!™ Circle of Friends?

It is a group of individuals who understand and appreciate the role of heritage, education, and culture in the preservation of traditional communities such as Eatonville and who are willing to make the necessary investment that such preservation efforts require.

Why is The Association to Preserve the Eatonville Community, Inc. (P.E.C.) soliciting on behalf of the ZORA!™ Circle of Friends?

We at P.E.C. are taking up the challenge of strengthening our organization by concentrating on building the base of our individual donors. It is accepted wisdom within the field of philanthropy that the strength of an organization can be judged, in large measure, by the quality of its individual donors. We will continue to compete for grants; seek sponsorship dollars; develop strategic partnerships; solicit memberships from the general public. However, we also need to appeal to those persons who will want to make a different quality of commitment.

What are the requirement(s) for becoming a member of the ZORA!™ Circle?

The one basic requirement is a financial one. However, the Circle will be even more effective if its members also become “Ambassadors” on behalf of “Preserving the Eatonville Community.” You need not live in Eatonville to become a Member.

If I become a Member of the ZORA!™ Circle of Friends, is there an annual commitment I would need to make?

No. Your tax-deductible investment would cover completly the period, April 2016 - December 2019. We would not solicit you again during this period of time. You would only be able to receive the tax deduction however during the calendar year that you had made the charitable contribution.

If I become a Member, how will my investment be used?

Your investment would be restricted to two areas: (1) Supporting the ZORA!™ STEM Initiative, our organization’s 10-year commitment to support a communitybased, comprehensive family-focused program with the goal of engaging Eatonville’s youth, beginning at very early childhood and continuing on through the completion of high school, such that they are prepared academically to pursue opportunities in the fields of science, technology, engineering and math; and Your investment would be restricted to two areas(continued): (2) Supporting PE.C.’s vision of developing Eatonville into an internationally recognized cultural tourism destination for the arts and culture throughout the African Diaspora, with special emphasis on the multi-disciplines as represented in the life and work of Zora Neale Hurston.

What will be the level of accountability provided to Members of the ZORA!™ Circle of Friends?

Funds received from Circle Members will be deposited in a separate account. All expenditures will be identified as supporting either (1) or (2) as stated above. Thus, we will have the ability to provide a finance report, specific to the ZORA!™ Circle of Friends. In addition, on an annual basis (Our fiscal year is October 1 - September 30.), our organization engages an auditor, external to our organization, to audit our books.

Are there different levels of membership within the ZORA!™ Circle of Friends; and, if so, are there any premiums associated with each?

Yes, there are 4 different levels: • Bronze - $1,000 • Gold - $5,000

• Silver - $3,500 • Platinum - $10,000

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The Sankofa Project of Florida is born out of a legislative initiative sponsored in 2015

by Senator Geraldine Thompson of Orlando, Florida. The project was granted funds in 2016 by the Florida Department of State to enhance and promote Florida’s African American culturally historic museums and festivals. Florida boasts some of the most interesting and historically relevant museums in the country.

The museums and festivals that are currently partnered with the Sankofa Project of Florida offer unique educational and cultural heritage facts on various aspects of Florida African American individuals and events. The partners of the Sankofa Project network are: • EXCELSIOR/LINCOLNVILLE MUSEUM

• TAYLOR HOUSE MUSEUM

• FLORIDA AFRICAN DANCE FESTIVAL

• PEPSI FUNK FEST

• JUNETEENTH FESTIVAL

• WELLS’BUILT MUSEUM

• MOORE CULTURAL COMPLEX

• ZORA NEALE HURSTON FESTIVAL

• MOSLEY HOUSE MUSEUM

PLAN YOUR VISIT TO THESE MUSEUMS AND FESTIVALS TODAY!

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TOURISM MATTERS We make visitors smile.

They help keep our economy running.

Visit Orlando is proud to partner with the Zora Neale Hurston Festival of the Arts and Humanities as we celebrate “Historic Eatonville at 130 Years.�

EATONVILLE Your Group Tour Destination credit: louise franklin

credit: ted hollins

For more information on Zora Neale Hurston and the Festival that bears her name and to book a tour, please call Carolyn Atkins at 407.647.3307

credit: victor watkins

Monday – Friday, 9:00AM – 4:00PM Saturday, 11:00AM – 1:00PM Closed Sundays & Holiday Weekends

www.PreserveEatonville.org

credit: ted hollins