Black Joy and Afrofuturist Visions Exploring Race, Space, and Womanhood in Zora Neale Hurston’s Selected Short Stories

Abstract

This study explores the intersection of race, space, and womanhood in Zora Neale Hurston’s short stories through Black joy and Afrofuturism frameworks. Drawing on Lindsey Stewart’s concept of Black joy, the analysis highlights how Hurston interweaves these themes to emphasize joy as a transformative and resistant force that preserves Black people’s psychic and psychological wholeness. Focusing on selected stories from the posthumously published Hitting a Straight Lick with a Crooked Stick (2020), this paper investigates how Hurston uses narratives of joy not as escapism, but as a deliberate strategy for overcoming systemic double oppression. Through a close reading of the chosen short stories, the study demonstrates how Hurston envisions joy as a form of resistance, deeply intertwined with race, space, and gender. By pairing Black joy with an Afrofuturist perspective, Hurston articulates a vision for African Americans’ collective freedom and cultural wholeness. This analysis positions Hurston’s work as a blueprint for navigating constraints while envisioning a future grounded in empowerment, resilience, and joy.