In “Characteristics of Negro Expression,” Zora Neale Hurston discusses the diverse characteristics of African Americans and explains why they are such a complex race with intriguing qualities. Hurston discusses dance, Negro folklore, and originality among many others. Hurston captures the complexity of African Americans by writing about all the different characteristics that make them unique, despite sometimes being imitated by whites. The “common people” he writes about are anything but common. The “common people” had qualities that allowed them to be innovative with their music, art and language. Hurston uses all of these different attributes to clearly distinguish African Americans from whites. It shows how wonderful it was to be African American and how this could help African Americans advance as a race. However, unlike Hughes who wanted African Americans to be proud of being African American, I believe he wrote this with the intention of showing white people how rich and beautiful African American culture truly is. Hurston saw how culturally diverse and rich their popular culture was and continues to be to this day. Hurston demonstrates the richness of popular culture through his section titled "Negro Folklore." He explains it not as something old, but as something that is constantly evolving. He says: “Negro folklore is not a thing of the past. It is still under construction. Its great variety shows the adaptability of the black man: nothing is too old or too new, domestic or foreign, high or low, for his use.” This was an excellent example of how he set out to demonstrate the richness of African American culture to the white world. It's an attempt to show it to white people; even though popular culture may be stuck in the past, African Americans are continually adapting and their culture is always to be appreciated because it is one of those