Historical FigureAmerican1910 – 1990
Zilphia Horton
Folk music educator, civil rights activist, co-founder of Highlander Folk School
Biography
A pioneering folk music educator and activist who co-founded the Highlander Folk School in Tennessee, a center for social justice education and civil rights activism.
Quick Facts
Category
Historical Figure
Nationality
American
Born
1910
Died
1990
Thinking about the name
Zilphia
Hebrew origin
“Zilphia is a Romanized or Anglicized elaboration of the biblical Zilpah, with the added -ia suffix common in Greco-Latin influenced names. The extension creates a more elaborate, classical feel while maintaining biblical roots. This variant reflects historical patterns of name adaptation as biblical names were integrated into European and American contexts.”