The Middle School Student Who Asked If I Was Born in 1891: Why Youth Empowerment Through Storytelling Matters Now More Than Ever
- Pamela D. Marshall
- Mar 18
- 5 min read
Recently, I was invited to a local middle school to share the story of Zora Neale Hurston.
Instead of giving a lecture, I stepped into her voice and told her story in the first person so the students could meet her, not just as a name in a book, but as a human being who faced real struggles.
This is youth empowerment through storytelling at its most powerful, when history stops being distant and becomes personal.
The Moment That Changed Zora's Life
I began with the moment that changed her life.
Zora lost her mother when she was just 13 years old. Soon after, her father remarried and stopped paying her tuition at the boarding school where she had been sent. By the age of 14, she was largely on her own, working to support herself while still holding onto a dream of finishing her education.
Education meant everything to Zora.
So much so that at 26 years old, she did something bold and brave: she changed her age to 16 so she could return to school and finally graduate from high school.
Her determination carried her all the way to Barnard College, where she became the first African American woman to attend the prestigious women's college affiliated with Columbia University.
The Question That Proved Youth Empowerment Through Storytelling Works
After my presentation, a young boy raised his hand and asked with genuine curiosity: "You said you were born in 1891?"
I laughed because it meant he had been listening closely. For a moment, he believed he had truly met Zora.
Moments like that remind me why these stories matter.
This is the essence of youth empowerment through storytelling: when young people connect so deeply with a story that they see themselves in it, believe in it, and carry it forward as part of their own narrative.
Why Our Children Need Stories of Resilience
If Zora had believed that her difficult beginnings disqualified her, the world would have been deprived of her extraordinary gifts.
Our children need stories that remind them that their beginnings do not determine their future.
I was reminded of this again recently when I attended the Investiture of Dr. Shantay Bolton, the first African American woman to serve as president of my alma mater, Columbia College Chicago.
What I learned that day made the moment even more powerful.
Dr. Bolton grew up in foster homes before eventually signing herself into the Girls Home as a teenager. Later in life, she became the mother of a son with autism, who stood and spoke beautifully at her Investiture ceremony.
Resilience has a way of revealing purpose.
My Own Story
As I sat in the VIP section that day (something that surprised me more than anyone), I reflected on my own journey.
I grew up in a home without indoor plumbing.
When I graduated from high school in 1979, I took a bath in a metal tub and walked outside to the backyard toilet before leaving for the ceremony to receive my diploma.
I knew I had to go to college, if for no other reason than to be able to take a shower and use toilet paper instead of newspaper.
Life does not always hand us the script we would have chosen.
But that does not mean we cannot still step forward and live our purpose.
That is why youth empowerment through storytelling has become my life's work. When young people hear stories of triumph over impossible circumstances, they begin to see possibility where they once saw only obstacles.
Introducing Tea Cakes with Zora Neale Hurston
That is why I created Tea Cakes with Zora Neale Hurston, a live storytelling and cultural literacy experience designed especially for young people.
Through performance, conversation, and shared cultural traditions, including tea cakes inspired by Zora's beloved character Tea Cake, students are invited to encounter history in a living, breathing way.
Not as something distant, but as something that belongs to them.
This is youth empowerment through storytelling in action: history becomes personal, inspiration becomes tangible, and young people walk away believing their voice matters.
The Challenge: 100 Students Are Waiting
Thanks to a grant from the Alachua County Children's Trust, we have secured funding to sponsor 24 students to attend.
But many more students are already interested in attending.
Right now, there are young people who want to sit in that room, hear Zora's story, taste the tea cakes, and walk away believing that their voice matters too.
This is where you can help.
Sponsor a Student's Journey
For $35, you can sponsor one student seat.
Your sponsorship places a young person in the audience and a copy of my book When Zora Spoke, I Remembered My Name directly into their hands.
You can also expand your impact by sponsoring more students:
$35 — Sponsor One Student Donate Here
$350 — Sponsor a Classroom Donate Here
$1,000 — Become a Community Sponsor Donate Here
Our goal is to sponsor 100 students so that many more young people can experience this powerful encounter with history, storytelling, and possibility.
Tea Cakes with Zora Neale Hurston
📅 April 18, 2026
Because sometimes all it takes is one story, heard at the right moment, to change how a young person sees their future.
Why This Matters: The Power of Youth Empowerment Through Storytelling
When that young boy asked if I was born in 1891, I realized something important.
For a moment, he believed he was speaking to Zora Neale Hurston.
Imagine what might happen if 100 students walked out of that room believing that their own story matters just as much.
Youth empowerment through storytelling isn't just about preserving history. It's about:
✓ Showing young people that resilience is possible ✓ Teaching them that difficult beginnings don't determine futures ✓ Connecting them to cultural heritage in meaningful ways ✓ Inspiring them to believe their voice matters ✓ Creating moments that shift how they see themselves
Even when life hands you a script you didn't audition for, your story still matters. And your gifts can still change the world.
How You Can Help Right Now
Your $35 sponsorship can make that transformative moment possible for one child.
Every student who attends Tea Cakes with Zora Neale Hurston will:
Experience living history through immersive performance
Receive a copy of When Zora Spoke, I Remembered My Name
Share in cultural traditions (tea cakes and conversation)
Walk away believing their story matters
Carry forward the legacy of resilience and determination
Or share this message with someone who believes in the power of youth empowerment through storytelling.
Join the Movement
Looking for more ways to support youth empowerment and cultural literacy?
For speaking engagements, school visits, or performance bookings, call 352-359-5760 OR Contact Me Here.
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