Inspire Remembrance: A Tribute to Toni Morrison

It was supposed to be a normal Tuesday. I had a list of projects I was supposed to complete. But when I woke up Tuesday morning, I saw the news that Pulitzer Prize, Nobel Prize-winning novelist Toni Morrison had passed away on August 5, 2019. She passed away peacefully, surrounded by family and friends.

Tuesday was a much different day than originally planned. I was saddened that we lost one of the greatest, most influential voices in literary history. Morrison was a consummate writer, who treasured the written word--whether it was her own writing or the words of others. She read voraciously and, according to her family, she was most at home when she was writing.

Toni Morrison (photo/Essence)

Few authors are like her. She rose in such a rapid, spectacular style. It took her a while to be recognized for her talent, being nearly 40 years old when her first novel, The Bluest Eye, was published. By the time she was 60 years old, she had become the first African-American woman to receive the Nobel Prize in literature. Critics continually praise her vision, language, and the way she openly discussed the relationship between races.

We have so much to owe to her. She raised American multiculturalism in literature, writing about subjects many people were too afraid to confront. She wasn't afraid. She wrote what she had to say. She wrote what we had to read. Her novels feature history, poetry, tragedy, love, and adventure. Morrison wove eloquent words in her books--words we still need to read. We still need her lessons--now more than ever before.

Morrison wrote the following novels:

• The Bluest Eye
• Sula
• Song of Solomon
• Tar Baby
• Beloved
• Jazz 
• Paradise 
• Love
• A Mercy
• Home
• God Help the Child

Toni Morrison's books (photo/AmReading).

Morrison's writing expanded the literary canon, especially for multicultural literature. She recognized the power of literature, and this was embedded in her writing. She was a testament to the human capacity for love, connection, triumph, and perseverance, even through great trials. Her words left a ripple effect in society, and like many writers who came before her, her writing will live on past her death. Her legacy will remain evident in history for as long as we will remember.

People need her.

America needs her. 

I need her.

I discovered Morrison's novels over three years ago, and I haven't looked back since. My favorite novel of hers, The Bluest Eye, changed how I viewed multicultural literature. Her writing is poetic, raw, powerful, dynamic, emotional, and it affects me in more ways than I could articulately express in this post.

Toni Morrison's "The Bluest Eye" (photo/FreeBookSummary).

Morrison became my teacher; a friend that kept me company; and someone who could distract me with her words. Her writing transformed me from the inside out. How lucky are we to have had the privilege of reading her work? How lucky are we to have witnessed her literary creations? How lucky are we to have had Toni Morrison in our lives?

We're so lucky. Morrison was one of the most intelligent, articulate, brave, and lovely writers of our time--heck, of all time. She has inspired generations of writers and readers to follow in her footsteps. She forced readers to examine our lives, including our internal conflicts, so we can face the world we live in. So we can learn and grow. So we can inspire change.

(photo/The Last Safe Place)

Morrison is America's conscience. She wrote because she knew people needed to open their eyes and consider things from a different perspective--from a point of view we haven't yet seen. She wrote because people needed her.

And we still need her more than ever before.

In loving memory of one of my favorite authors, Toni Morrison. Thank you for inspiring us...over and over again.

-KJL-