ora was born in Notasulga, Alabama but grew up in Eatonville, Florida. Many of her more than 50 short stories, plays, and essays are based on Eatonville. As an anthropologist and avid filmmaker, Zora shed light on the racial struggles of the American South.

   While a student at Barnard College and Columbia University, Zora conducted anthropological research and published work on hoodoo. She also did ethnographic studies of Harlem.

   Through her fiction, she became a central figure of the Harlem Renaissance, writing about contemporary issues in the Black community. Her writing also explores her peronsal struggles as an African-American woman.