The Hurston/Wright Foundation

African American Civil Rights Network

The Zora Neale Hurston/Richard Wright Foundation is an American literary nonprofit organization that supports the development and careers of African American writers. The Foundation provides classes, workshops, an annual conference, and offers the Hurston/Wright Legacy Award and the North Star Award, among others.

The idea for the Foundation started with a fortuitous interview on a radio program. In 1990, author Marita Golden was discussing her debut memoir, Migrations of the Heart, when businessman and cultural activist Clyde McElvene heard her and was so impressed that he sought her out. Although they had different backgrounds and work experiences, they shared a great love of African American books and believed more should be done to promote and honor African American writers. From their conversation, a literary organization was eventually formed with a mission to help discover, educate, mentor, and develop African American writers and to increase their representation within the literary field.

The Hurston/Wright Foundation became part of the African American Civil Rights Network in December of 2022.

The African American Civil Rights Network recognizes the African American Civil Rights Movement in the United States and the sacrifices made by those who fought against discrimination and segregation. Created by the African American Civil Rights Act of 2017, and coordinated by the National Park Service, the Network tells the stories of the people, places, and events of the U.S. African American Civil Rights Movement through a collection of public and private resources to include properties, facilities, and programs.