Introduction

A renaissance is defined as a rebirth or a revival, and so the Harlem Renaissance got its name. With African American arts flourishing during this period, many people try to draw connections between different influences of the time—the War, the Great Depression, Prohibition, and even jazz. The influences went so deep that they included the roots of African American culture. In most cultures, folklore is a part of oral history, and African American culture is no different. Zora Neale Hurston drew upon this for some of her contributions to the Harlem Renaissance.

For this exercise, you will explore different folklore tales from African American culture, including some stories from Zora Neale Hurston. After reading some different tales, you will list some common themes in these tales and explain why you think these themes are important.

Folklore Tales to Explore

American Folklore (http://www.americanfolklore.net/ee.html)
Zora Neale Hurston (http://xroads.virginia.edu/~MA01/Grand-Jean/Hurston/Chapters/Zorabio.html)

Directions

Start with "American Folklore." Click on the African American link, and read some of the folklore tales. After you have finished with that section, go to "Zora Neale Hurston." On this site, you can click Mules and Men at the top of page and read some of the folklore tales written by Zora Neale Hurston.

1.	Once you have finished exploring the Web sites, create a list of some common themes of these tales and explain why you think these themes are important in the story.