Zora Neale Hurston was a writer and anthropologist whose genius captured the richness of African American culture in the South and the Caribbean. A central figure in the Harlem Renaissance, she studied under the 'father of American anthropology,' Franz Boas. Hurston’s unique genius was her ability to combine scientific ethnographic research with lyrical, dialect-heavy storytelling. Her most famous novel, 'Their Eyes Were Watching God,' is a masterpiece of American literature. She traveled across Florida and New Orleans collecting folklore, songs, and hoodoo practices, preserving a cultural heritage that was often overlooked or dismissed. Though she died in poverty, her work was rediscovered in the 1970s and she is now recognized as a premier voice of the 20th century.