Brief info
Hezekiah Baker shared with the New York Times in 2001, during an interview at his residence in Fort Pierce, Fla., that the Highwaymen's creations were products of their imagination. The interview itself is noteworthy for its occurrence, as it brought together an African American man, born to sharecropping parents in Savannah, Ga. in 1940, and a reporter from the New York Times, 61 years later, in the comfort of his living room.
Baker's profession as an artist and his recognition as one of the original 26 Florida Highwaymen ultimately resulted in his interview with The Times in 2001. However, his journey to reach that point was far from a straightforward path. He alternated between being a painter and working as a field hand, bakery worker, insurance salesman, and even a restaurateur. According to The Highwaymen Trail, an organization dedicated to preserving heritage trails and managed by the city of Fort Pierce and the Florida Humanities Council, Baker adopted an "entrepreneurial approach to life." He would paint when the financial prospects were favorable and would explore other avenues when they were not.