Postal Service Celebrates Author Toni Morrison New Forever Stamp

From the USPS.com Newsroom

The Toni Morrison Forever stamp is sold in panes of 20. News of the stamps is being shared with the hashtag #ToniMorrisonStamp.

“The U.S. Postal Service today celebrated the life and legacy of author Toni Morrison (1931-2019), whose artfully crafted novels explored the diverse voices of African Americans, in a first-day-of-issue ceremony at Princeton University.

“One of the goals of our stamp program is to raise awareness and celebrate the people who represent the very best of our nation,” said Pritha Mehra, USPS chief information officer and executive vice president, who served as the dedicating official. 

Toni Morrison was born Chloe Ardelia Wofford on Feb. 18, 1931, in Lorain, OH, where she would later recall growing up in a family filled with storytelling and song. After graduating from high school in 1949, she enrolled at Howard University in Washington, D.C., and began using the name Toni, a reference to Anthony, the saint whose name she took when she was confirmed in the Roman Catholic Church at age 12. After graduating from Howard, she earned a master’s degree in English at Cornell University and later taught English at Texas Southern University and at Howard.

Although known primarily as a novelist, Toni Morrison wrote in a wide range of genres. She published three collections of lectures and speeches about literature and race — “Playing in the Dark,” “The Origin of Others,” and “The Source of Self-Regard” — and edited books about political and social issues.” She also wrote the lyrics for the opera “Margaret Garner” in collaboration with composer Richard Danielpour. She wrote plays as well, most notably collaborating with stage director Peter Sellars and Malian musician, Rokia Traoré, on “Desdemona,” a fresh take on “Othello” staged in Europe and the United States from 2011 to 2015.

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