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3 years have passed since her death but Toni Morrison is still gaining popularity.
This is nothing but glory that comes to those who leave an impact on the society.
Toni Morrison, the well known author whose artfully crafted novels such as “Beloved”,”The Bluest Eye”,”Sula” have depicted African American experience in particular of Black Women, was honored this time by United States Postal Service.
But how was Toni Morrison, who died at the age of 88 in 2019, honored by the United States Postal Service.
The United States Postal Service put her face on the forever stamp.
Big thing? Right?
The stamp features Morrison smiling at the camera, against a yellow backdrop, dressed in black with her signature gray locks adding to the beauty of the photo.
Actually, this portrait of Ms Morrison was shot in 1997 for the Time Magazine cover by photographer Deborah Feingold.
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Deborah Feingold recalled how focused, calm and patient Morrison was during the shoot of the photo back in 1997.
She felt happy and honored that the photo of Ms Morrison, clicked by her was chosen for the Forever Stamp.
More than that, she expressed gratitude over getting the privilege of clicking Morrison, who has contributed to bringing upfront the experiences of the Black community especially Black women in the first place through her novels.
The United States Postal Service revealed the stamp at a ceremony in Princeton University on 7th March 2023.
Toni Morrison taught at Princeton University from 1989 to 2006.
In Princeton University, she became the Robert F. Goheen professor in the Humanities in 1989.
This stamp unveiling ceremony was part of a series of exhibitions of her writing, her lectures and literary achievements.
The ceremony was attended by Toni Morrison’s son Harold Ford Morrison and a few other family members.
The first forever stamp was rolled out in 2007 and the Morrison commemorative stamp was designed by Ethel Kessler.
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Pritha Mehra, the chief information officer and executive vice president of the United States Postal Service, said, “One of the goals of our stamp program is to raise awareness and celebrate the people who represent the very best of our nation.
It’s a privilege to represent the 650,000 men and women of the Postal Service, as we honor Toni Morrison with one more tribute — our new stamp that will be seen by millions and forever remind us of the power of her words and the ideas she brought to the world.”
Toni Morrison has written 11 novels in her lifetime.
Out of which The Bluest Eye (1970), Sula (1970),Song of Solomon (1977) and Beloved (1987) are some of Toni Morrison’s most famous novels.
The central theme of Toni Morrison’s novels has been the exploration of African-American experiences.
She depicted this experience using epic themes, vivid dialogues, and strong African-American characters who struggled to find their cultural identity in a highly prejudiced society.
Her writing gave the literary view of the African-American experience that touches you as a reader.
And what makes it realistic is the cold-blooded detail and clever use of vocabulary with which she presented them to the readers.
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Toni Morrison’s works have brought her several accolades at different times of her literary life.
Her critically praised novel Beloved (1987) won her the Pulitzer prize for fiction.
Morrison’s novel Song of Solomon published in 1977 won the National Book Critics Circle Award
And her biggest award came to her in 1993 when she was awarded the Nobel Prize in literature. She became the first African American woman of any nationality to win the prize.
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Oprah Winfrey, who starred as the main lead in the film adaptation of Morrison’s novel ‘Beloved’, sent her warm message in a recorded video.
Through the video, Oprah said that Morrison using her words brought people from the USA and the world together in an entirely new experience.
She also expressed her gratitude towards Morrison’s works.
Oprah’s book club has highlighted four of Morrison’s books, more than any other author.
But Oprah was not the only one whose message was featured in the ceremony.
The ceremony also featured a letter from the former president Barack Obama and the former first lady Michelle Obama.
In their letter they mentioned how Toni Morrison told fundamental truths about the country and the condition of humans in it.
They added that Morrison in addition to depicting what was true made generations of African American people imagine what could have been possible.
“That’s why we return to her stories again and again, finding new meaning each time.” the letter added.
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You will also be interested in knowing that President Barack Obama awarded her with the Presidential Medal of Freedom in the year 2012.
What will bring more pride to Toni Morrison's readers and fans is that before the person for the postage stamp is selected by the Postal Service, it receives more than 30,000 suggestions every year, out of which only 25 to 30 make their way to the top.
Out of the top 30, Toni Morrison made it to the top most position to appear on the forever stamp.
Morrison thus became a part of the group of 50 Black women who have been featured on the US Postage stamps.
This group also includes big names such as Zora Neale Hurston, James Weldon Johnson, Frederick Douglass, James Baldwin, Maya Angelou and Gwendolyne Brooks.
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But this was not Morrison's first time on a stamp, as she appeared on a stamp in Sweden after she won the Nobel Prize in literature in 1993.
Morrison was also featured on a stamp in 2000 by the Republic of Palau in Oceania for its visionaries of the 20th century series.
Although Morrison rose to fame through her works, she has had her share of challenges as well.
Morrison was born in a working class Black family in Lorain, Ohio. She was the second of four children in the family.
When she was small, the landlord set their house on fire because they didn’t pay rent. Rather than falling into despair, their family laughed at the landlord which taught Morrison how to keep their integrity.
Morrison wrote her first book “The Bluest Eye” in 1970 at the age of 39. Initially the response to the book was cold but then the sales gradually started increasing.
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Toni Morrison ,by believing in her talent and by presenting a good cause through her books, beat all odds that could restrict a young black woman from rising to fame.
But the subject she brought to the masses through her novels also led to the ban of certain of her novels.
Morrison’s books such as “The Bluest Eyes” have been banned from schools in the United States in an effort to remove literature that highlights gender, race and sexuality.
The Texas department of Criminal Justice banned Morrison’s book ‘Paradise’ because of the reason that it contained information that could help achieve breakdown of prisons by causing inmate disruption like strikes or riots.
No matter how many books of Toni Morrison get banned from schools or anywhere else, her face on the forever stamp will always be an evidence of her glory and righteousness.
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