Meet Rae Chesny: The Zora Girl
Sharing the legacy of Literary Icon Zora Neale Hurston, while Amplifying the stories of women & children of color-past, present, and future.
Hello! Welcome to my site. I’m the woman who led the planning and production of the wildly successful inaugural 2025 Zora Neale Hurston Summit. The historic event boasted more than 1,500 attendees, 74 speakers, and nearly 60 Hurston family members from around the world!
Here are four things I can tell you…
1. Zora’s legacy is not just alive and well—it’s experiencing a renaissance. With the Summit, we didn’t just host an event—we started a movement. I truly believe the impact of this gathering will reverberate for years to come.
2. A person having iconic status and being beloved doesn’t mean there isn’t work left to do to honor them. Of course, leading this unprecedented event for Zora was the honor of a lifetime, but it was also a Herculean effort. Welcoming people into participation—not just awareness—of Zora’s legacy took deep intentionality, and I’m forever grateful to everyone who helped make it happen. Together we did this work!
3. There’s room for all of us. My vision for the Zora Neale Hurston Summit has always been for it to feel like an upscale family reunion—a space where the general public could step into Zora’s extended family for a weekend. And we did just that. Every industry Zora dominated and experimented with was represented.
4. The new era of Zora is officially here. From day one, I held the belief that this Summit wasn’t just a culmination—it was a foundation. This was the peak of one thing, but the beginning of another. There is so much room for all of us in Zora’s legacy, and that includes me as I continue to share my unbelievable journey with Zora.
Let’s connect so that I can support your vision, or that of your organization, by bringing Zora, storytelling, and transformational experiences to life.
Watch Rae in Action
Whether you’re a lover of Zora [Neale Hurston]’s literary works or hearing about the literary great for the first time, Rae Chesny shares Zora’s life in a way that leaves listeners of all ages, from all walks of life, on the edge of their seats wanting more.
-Sara Brown, Eatonville Branch Library Manager
Zora’s Garden Children’s Book
In the Florida town of Eatonville, Zora experiences magic ...
With the loving wisdom of her mother, Lucy, Zora learns the perfect recipe for creating the stories and growing gardens. Join in the fun as Zora learns about the power of storytelling and the delight of gardening.
This heartfelt adventure honors the real Zora Neale Hurston with the perfect mix of fact and fiction crafted by Zora Scholar Rae Chesny.
When Zora Calls by Dr. Julianne Malveaux
When Zora calls, you better answer. At least that's what Rae-Ama Camylle Chesny learned when, as a storyteller, she found much to say about Zora Neale Hurston. She travels thousands of miles, visits historic sites, and sits quietly to listen, she learns Zora Neale Hurston and describes herself as a Zoraphile. Chesny gives lectures and presentations about Zora Neale Hurston, but she also writes letters to Zora. Her book, titled Dear Zora, is a work in progress now available online. Chesny will release a hard copy of Dear Zora this year. This form of literary entrepreneurship, which encourages the reader to be part of the process, is unique. Reading briefly through the letters, I am struck by the ways Chesny is in a timeless, virtual conversation with Zora Neal Hurston about things like “integration," the Brown v. Board of Education decision, and more. Zora died in 1960. What would she say today?
We can't afford to throw away our geniuses, especially not Zora Neale Hurston. In this Black History month, we must celebrate Zora, but also the women who heeded her call - Alice Walker, Valerie Boyd, and Rae Ama-Camylle Chesny.
Dr. Julianne Malveaux, When Zora Calls Article
American Black Journal-PBS Interview
Orlando Memory Interview by Orange County Library System
Recent Radio Interviews
Listen to Rae on WOKV
Listen to Rae’s 90.7 WMFE Radio Interview on Zora Neale Hurston
Listen to Rae on the Better Lawns and Garden’s Radio Show
Book a Zora Neale Hurston Presentation for Your Organization
Celebrate the Rich Legacy of Zora Neale Hurston & Black Culture with a Presentation By Rae
Download Rae’s Media Kit
Fill out the Request form below and a team member will contact you within 48 business hours to book Rae’s one of a kind Zora Neale Hurston Presentation for your organization.
Zora Neale Hurston: The Storyteller and Her Town
Rae Chesny was be at the 2022 33rd Annual Zora Neale Hurston Festival of Arts and Humanities presenting a series entitled Zora Neale Hurston: The Storyteller and Her Town. This program series was hosted by the Eatonville Branch Library with the support of the ZORA! Festival and the Eatonville Chamber of Commerce. It is funded by the Florida Humanities. To watch recordings of each presentation, click here.
