Toni Morrison

“The presence of evil was something to be first recognized, then dealt with, survived, outwitted, triumphed over.“
Toni Morrison

Born: Chloe Ardelia Wofford, February 18, 1931 Lorain, Ohio, U.S.

Died: August 5, 2019 (aged 88) New York City, U.S.

Occupation: novelist, essayist, children’s writer, professor

Alma mater: Howard University (BA), Cornell University: (MA) American literature

Notable works:

Beloved

Song of Solomon

Tar Baby

The Bluest Eye

Notable awards

Presidential Medal of Freedom

National Humanities Medal

Nobel Prize in Literature

Pulitzer Prize for Fiction

Tony Morrison (1931-2019), whose novels such as Song of Solomon, Jazz, and Beloved were critically acclaimed, died August 5^th. Having been awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1993, Morrison’s name is permanently inscribed on the Nobel Monument in Theodore Roosevelt Park, which honors all American Laureates.

Morning Coffee

Bill Paying

Being a black man is a bill that shows up every month that you have to pay and the vig is outrageous.

Singing

You taught me why the caged bird sings she said as she walked out the door.

The Greatest Commandment

The Second Commandment, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” There is no other commandment greater than [this] these’” (Mark 12:28-31)

I Am Not My Hair

Yes you are. When you look at African culture hair has always defined who we are. From the braids of one tribe to the shaved heads of another to mud or cloth wraps hair has always been a statement about culture and who we are.

White Tie, Top Hat and Tails

Gladys Bentley was an over the top original when that wasn’t a popular thing to be. Performing in her signature White Tie, Top Hat and Tails she was so, so cool and bending a lot more than gender.

Bass Reeves

Bass Reaves: The Real Lone Ranger.

The Wells of America

Those who drink the water should never forget those that dug the wells.

Billie Holiday

“You can be up to your boobies in white satin, with gardenias in your hair, and no sugar cane for miles, but you can still be working on a plantation.” — Billie Holiday

Game Changer

“You have and always will change the game, so why are you concerned with their retelling who won the last hand. It’s not history that’s important it’s your next roll of the dice, the next turned card. Stop playing with their marked deck”.

Casualty

I was a soldier before I should have been. I’ve fought wars and been left for dead. A prisoner all my life. I’ve been MIA and I am a casualty yet still I rise.