During the 2019 Zora Neale Hurston Festival of Arts and Humanities, we spoke to Honorable Edward Jones. He is the seventh and current mayor of Grambling, Louisiana, one of the historic black communities that founded the Historic Black Towns and Settlement Alliance (HBTSA).

During the 2019 festival, we spoke with Deborah Plant. Dr. Plant is an Africana Studies scholar and literary critic and an associate professor at the University of South Florida. She is also the editor of the recently published book, Barracoon: The Story of the Last Black Cargo, written by Zora Neale Hurston in 1931.

During the 2019 Zora Neale Hurston Festival, we spoke with Dr. Pamela McCauley. Dr. McCauley is a nationally recognized speaker, author, and a tenured Professor in the Department of Industrial Engineering and Management Systems at the University of Central Florida where she leads the Human Factors in Disaster Management Research Team.

407 Julian Chambliss and the Black Imaginary Inspired By Zora Neale Hurston by Julian Chambliss

During the 2019 Zora Neale Hurston Festival, we spoke with Joshua Walker, one of the cofounders of Black Orlando Tech (BOT) about technology, innovation, and the way the Zora Festival is inspiring a new generation of black innovators.

During the 2019 Zora Neale Hurston Festival, we spoke with Dr. Diedre H. Crumbley, anthropologist and Professor Emerita at North Carolina State University about her long legacy of engagement with the Zora Neale Hurston, Eatonville, and the Festival.

We spoke with Zienzi Dillon, a banker and international financier about the Zora Neale Hurston Festival and the opportunity for engagement with Africa.

Holly Baker spoke with Dr. Anna Lillios about Zora Neale Hurston and the Zora Fest. Dr. Lillios is an author and a professor of English at the University of Central Florida. Dr. Lillios long history with the festival sheds light on Hurston's centrality to modern academia.

We spoke with Dr. Cheryl Wall at the 2019 Zora Neale Hurston Festival. Dr. Wall is a literary critic and professor of English at Rutgers University.

During the 2019 Zora Neale Hurston Festival of the Arts and Humanities, we spoke with award-winning author, poet, and activist Alice Walker about Zora Neale Hurston and the Festival.