How It Feels to Be Colored Me

In the 20th century, Zola Neale Hurston was a prominent black woman writer who rose to success with the publication of her various novels, folklore, essays, and plays. Hurston was a member of the Harlem Renaissance and a graduate of Barnard College. In the beginning of Hurston's essay, she writes, "I remember the very day that I became colored" (114). "How It Feels to Be Colored Me" includes a startling moment in a tale of childhood: the moment Hurston becomes racially conscious.

Throughout the text, Hurston treats race as a malleable concept. She can recall the very day she "becomes" colored—and even then, her identity is not permanent. Depending on the social situation, Hurston's perception of her race can diminish or amplify. This malleability is central to Hurston's essay and purpose. Although she recounts feelings of inferiority, Hurston's struggles as a black woman are not the focus of "How It Feels to Be Colored Me." Rather, she uses sharp imagery to empower audience members. Hurston likely intended her essay for other African-American readers; perhaps young people seeking guidance or affinity with the author.

To first establish ethos with the audience, Hurston included her various encounters with racism. Her readers would likely have also experienced similar struggles; therefore, they would have placed a greater trust in Hurston's advice. To truly replicate her relentless fight against racism, Hurston uses figurative language to her strength. Although her words may have been intended for young black readers, the power of her voice conveys a message of empowerment to all readers. She writes, "The terrible struggle that made me an American out of a potential slave said "On the line!" The Reconstruction said "Get set!"; and the generation before said "Go!" I am off to a flying start and I must not halt in the stretch to look behind and weep" (115). By likening her struggle to a race, Hurston awakens a sense of restlessness and thrill to "fight the power," so to speak. Such unambiguous determination sends a message of strength and confidence loud and clear. 

Although Hurston's experiences of racism would have differed from those in the 21st century, recent happenings in Ferguson and Baltimore are a reminder that anti-black sentiment is not yet a thing of the past. Hurston's writing still strikes a chord, even nearly a century later.
Photo credit

(Pages 114-117)