Toni Morrison tributes pour in from Oprah, the Clintons, Colin Kaepernick
Toni Morrison, the Nobel- and Pulitzer Prize-winning writer whose acclaimed titles included “The Bluest Eye,” “Beloved,” “Sula,” “Tar Baby” and a slew of children’s books, died Monday night at age 88.
As news of her death broke Tuesday, the literary giant and master of American letters was sorely missed as fans mourned the loss of her voice and celebrated her effect on American culture.
Politicians and authors, celebrities, social justice groups and casual readers shared quotes from the scribe, whose remarkable accomplishments included publishing her first book at age 39. Some described her as a “shining example to black women everywhere” and her death as “a devastating loss to the world of words.”
Former President Barack Obama crafted a powerful tribute to late author Toni Morrison, whom he honored with the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2012.
Aug. 6, 2019
Here’s what fans and followers had to say on social media:
View this post on InstagramA post shared by Oprah (@oprah) on
Toni Morrison will always be one of the greatest of all times. A culture changer. A literary monarch. She was a force that made readers see life through her eyes...our eyes. Thank you God for her unapologetic style. She shared it with grace. Rest In Power💜
— Regina King (@ReginaKing) August 6, 2019
“Racism will disappear when [it’s] no longer profitable and no longer psychologically useful. When that happens, it’ll be gone” - Toni Morrison
— Lenny Kravitz (@LennyKravitz) August 6, 2019
Rest in power, Queen. When you see Roxie, give her a kiss. pic.twitter.com/Z1N39Y1xj4
“In this country American means white. Everybody else has to hyphenate.”
— Mia Farrow (@MiaFarrow) August 6, 2019
Thank you Toni Morrison pic.twitter.com/s9JRoXfkec
Keep on writing, don't rest in peace, Toni Morrison! pic.twitter.com/Ajioi06xrB
— Paulo Coelho (@paulocoelho) August 6, 2019
“We die. That may be the meaning of life. But we do language. That may be the measure of our lives.” Toni Morrison. I’m deeply sadden to share that one of our greatest writers and minds in American History, Toni Morrison, passed away at the age of 88. May God Bless Her Soul. pic.twitter.com/Dq1UL4ENIY
— COMMON (@common) August 6, 2019
Our heartfelt condolences to the family, friends, loved ones and the entire Howard University community as we celebrate the life and legacy of the legendary Toni Morrison, '53.💙❤️ #HowardForever pic.twitter.com/F8UQDcJfyV
— Howard University (@HowardU) August 6, 2019
Members of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, mourn the loss of their beloved sorority member and multiple award winning author, Toni Morrison. February 15, 1931-August 5, 2019. Prayers go out to her family and friends. #AKA1908 pic.twitter.com/O266PPo26k
— Alpha Kappa Alpha (@akasorority1908) August 6, 2019
Toni Morrison will be remembered as one of the greatest thinkers and storytellers in our history.
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) August 6, 2019
She gave us all so much, and her work continues to give throughout time. Thank you, Toni Morrison. https://t.co/XEDGNS7OXW
In my interactions with Ms. Morrison at the Lorain Public Library and in New York, I found her kind and heroic. While it’s a tragedy that she has left this world, I am thankful that she was always brave enough to share her voice.
— Sherrod Brown (@SenSherrodBrown) August 6, 2019
We are all better because she lived. pic.twitter.com/veOAGKyiUn
The brilliance of Toni Morrison can only be explained by her own words! Rest In Power pic.twitter.com/0L5vkTWDJx
— Colin Kaepernick (@Kaepernick7) August 6, 2019
This is amazing & powerful. So many times as a Black person you have to ask yourself, "Is it worth it to go all in right now?" Toni clearly decided, "Yes, today I have the time." Rest in power, Toni Morrison, * thank you. https://t.co/6yhetgRD3o
— W. Kamau Bell (@wkamaubell) August 6, 2019
The world just lost an incredible soul. Rest in peace, Toni Morrison. pic.twitter.com/30w6yt8Dkc
— Cory Booker (@CoryBooker) August 6, 2019
"If there is a book that you want to read but it hasn't been written yet, you must be the one to write it," Toni Morrison said.
— Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) August 6, 2019
We are all so lucky to live in a world where she took her own advice and shared it with others.
In the passing of Toni Morrison, we lost one of our greatest voices & storytellers. Holding close those touched by her being & her gift. Her work gave us power, hope & freedom. While our world shines a little less bright today, we know "something that is loved is never lost."
— Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) August 6, 2019
Toni Morrison was a world-class human being. Her words stirred our souls & challenged our consciences to confront injustice, large or small, wherever it exists. How blessed we are that she gave us her gifts. Hillary and I are grateful for her life and the kindness she showed us. pic.twitter.com/ZCSPFCma1F
— Bill Clinton (@BillClinton) August 6, 2019
“You wanna fly, you got to give up the shit that weighs you down.”
— kerry washington (@kerrywashington) August 6, 2019
Toni Morrison.
I cannot imagine growing up in a world without her words. I pray you rest In Peace and in Power.
We will celebrate you with endless gratitude and love. Always.
She made me understand“writer” was a fine profession. I grew up wanting to be only her. Dinner with her was a night I will never forget. Rest, Queen. “Toni Morrison, seminal author who stirringly chronicled the Black American experience, dies” https://t.co/S6qxix5OCj
— shonda rhimes (@shondarhimes) August 6, 2019
Toni Morrison. The first of her name. The giver of gifts. The laureate of Nobel. The sage of synonyms. The griot of generations. Queen among queens. Rest in eternal peace knowing you left us with eternal treasure. We thank you. pic.twitter.com/FbVHaxWlKr
— Robin Thede (@robinthede) August 6, 2019
“I know the world is bruised and bleeding, and though it is important not to ignore its pain, it is also critical to refuse to succumb to its malevolence.” - Toni Morrison
— Julián Castro (@JulianCastro) August 6, 2019
Let’s carry her message with us in this moment. https://t.co/rcjn5OlTsw
"If you are free, you need to free somebody else. If you have some power, then your job is to empower somebody else." -Toni Morrison
— Bernie Sanders (@BernieSanders) August 6, 2019
Today we lost an American legend. May she rest in peace. https://t.co/DInZvd8stY
Toni Morrison's powerful writing taught us all new ways to lead, new ways to fight, and reminds us of the humanity in others. As I think about her passing, her words fill me with hope. “Your life is already a miracle of chance waiting for you to shape its destiny.” https://t.co/5fFf7u5DeH
— Elizabeth Warren (@ewarren) August 6, 2019
"You wanna fly, you got to give up the shit that weighs you down." — Toni Morrison
— Beto O'Rourke (@BetoORourke) August 6, 2019
A lesson for each of us. A lesson for our country. She may be gone, but her writing, her resolve, and her grace will live on forever.
The World is standing still in homage to one of the greatest literary treasures of all time. Thank You Toni Morrison. We will forever speak your name.🙏🏽❤️ pic.twitter.com/fb3XlTzZlE
— Debbie Allen (@msdebbieallen) August 6, 2019
"I tell my students, 'When you get these jobs that you have been so brilliantly trained for, just remember that your real job is that if you are free, you need to free somebody else. If you have some power, then your job is to empower somebody else." - Toni Morrison
— ACLU (@ACLU) August 6, 2019
Today we lost one of our most historic storytellers. Toni Morrison's work and legacy influenced an entire generation. Her commitment to centering Black women in her work and her continued activism for Black liberation was truly inspiring. #RestinPower pic.twitter.com/o460GZDOUF
— ColorOfChange.org (@ColorOfChange) August 6, 2019
"Love is divine only and difficult always. If you think it is easy you are a fool. If you think it is natural you are blind. It is a learned application without reason or motive except that it is God."
— Cave Canem (@cavecanempoets) August 6, 2019
- Toni Morrison (1931-2019) pic.twitter.com/XxvJVG2AgP
Today we remember Toni Morrison. From her first novel, "The Bluest Eye," Morrison wrote about the African American experience and issues of exclusion and belonging. She was the first black woman to become a Nobel laureate. 📸: Helen Marcus, @smithsoniannpg https://t.co/nrVW1hP6Dz pic.twitter.com/NoJsa0bZdp
— Smithsonian (@smithsonian) August 6, 2019
"It has to be both: beautiful & political at the same time. I’m not interested in art that is not in the world. And it’s not just the narrative, it’s not just the story; it’s the language & the structure & what’s going on behind it."
— Poets.org (@POETSorg) August 6, 2019
—Toni Morrison (1931–2019) pic.twitter.com/FEncMHvTX3
“Art invites us to know beauty and to solicit it, summon it, from even the most tragic of circumstances. Art reminds us that we belong here. And if we serve, we last.”
— Tribeca (@Tribeca) August 6, 2019
Rest in power, Toni Morrison, a fearless genius whose words will continue to guide and inspire us. Thank you. pic.twitter.com/xlG9xQljUT
RIP Toni Morrison. This is a devastating loss to the world of words, to our understanding of power and it’s reach, to the cultivation of empathy, to rich, nuanced, elegant storytelling. Her work was a gift to every one who had the pleasure of reading her.
— roxane gay (@rgay) August 6, 2019
The Bluest Eye
— The Black Caucus (@TheBlackCaucus) August 6, 2019
Sula
Song of Solomon
Tar Baby
Beloved
These are just a few of Author and Nobel Laureate Toni Morrison's work.
She was a brilliant writer who shared heartbreaking and poignant stories about Blackness in America.
May her soul rest in peace. pic.twitter.com/0a999imo8j
“The function of freedom is to free someone else.”—Toni Morrison
— Black Lives Matter (@Blklivesmatter) August 6, 2019
Thank you for teaching us to fly. #blacklivesmatter#ToniMorrison pic.twitter.com/wp2bZmlj2q
Thank you for telling our stories and defending our right to be. For amplifying our truths with your words. For preserving the culture. You are forever a Black girl who rocks. Rest in power, Toni Morrison. pic.twitter.com/WuoqkByrr1
— BLACK GIRLS ROCK! (@BLACKGIRLSROCK) August 6, 2019
Today we remember Toni Morrison, a brave activist, feminist writer, and inspiring figure in literature whose works will transcend the test of time. Thank you for the legacy. 🖤 pic.twitter.com/I8bxuy3fbz
— UN Women (@UN_Women) August 6, 2019
Today, the world lost a storyteller of unmatched empathy, elegance and power. Toni Morrison’s belief that language is the “measure of our lives” leaves an extraordinary, inspiring inheritance, and her beautiful writing will continue to be a blessing for generations to come. pic.twitter.com/cc3st7x2lM
— Nancy Pelosi (@SpeakerPelosi) August 6, 2019
Toni Morrison was a towering intellect, a brilliant scribe of our nation’s complex stories, a heartbreaking journalist of our deepest desires, and a groundbreaking author who destroyed precepts, walls and those who dared underestimate her capacity. Rest well and in peace. pic.twitter.com/nMkxXRtEoz
— Stacey Abrams (@staceyabrams) August 6, 2019
Toni Morrison created timeless works of literature. But her voice also speaks directly to our time, when language is used to stoke hate and divide. Her life and work are a testament to the power of language to inspire, illuminate and unite. pic.twitter.com/9ZF37yNLZi
— Arianna Huffington (@ariannahuff) August 6, 2019
“We die. That may be the meaning of life. But we do language. That may be the measure of our lives.”
— Ilhan Omar (@IlhanMN) August 6, 2019
Holding all those touched by Toni Morrison in my heart today. ❤️ pic.twitter.com/2jkAvtaErK
Toni Morrison’s ability to spark dialogue and present a perspectives never seen in mainstream literature made her a force for good in this world. She had a bold gracefulness that we can all
— Rep. Deb Haaland (@RepDebHaaland) August 6, 2019
learn from. https://t.co/sjdVdeMmUF
There is a Toni Morrison documentary IN THEATERS RIGHT NOW called The Pieces I Am. Of course it’s not getting the publicity it should. But it’s a wonderful film filled with her telling her stories. Find it at the smaller cinema near you. pic.twitter.com/pF2xcS6s2w
— April (@ReignOfApril) August 6, 2019
“I know the world is bruised and bleeding, and though it is important not to ignore its pain, it is also critical to refuse to succumb to its malevolence.” - Toni Morrison#ToniMorrison pic.twitter.com/56uEwzfiDf
— Greg Proops (@GregProops) August 6, 2019
Toni Morrison was the first African-American woman to win a Nobel Prize. May she rest in power. #RememberHerName https://t.co/0Q6MX8MJF7
— Billie Jean King (@BillieJeanKing) August 6, 2019
Our American story has lost a singular and courageous voice. Toni Morrison had to overcome the founding prejudices of her nation to claim a rightful place among the greats of American letters. The brilliance of her mind and spirit will live on in her words. May she rest in peace.
— Dan Rather (@DanRather) August 6, 2019
Like honestly has there ever been a baddie as bad as Toni Morrison? A woman who published her first novel at 39 after waking up every morning at 4 to write before getting her kids to school and going to work editing books by white men then ended up winning the full NOBEL PRIZE???
— Jeremy O. Harris (@jeremyoharris) August 6, 2019
Can we declare this the national day of Everyone Just Stop And Read Toni Morrison Together?
— Kate Crawford (@katecrawford) August 6, 2019
Today we lost a giant. Sending our condolences to the family and loved ones of the literary genius #ToniMorrison 🙏🏿🙏🏿 || 📸 Todd Plitt/Getty Images pic.twitter.com/f0GsyHud2U
— BET (@BET) August 6, 2019
She was shining example to Black women everywhere. RIP Toni Morrison. 🙏🕊️ (📷: Getty) pic.twitter.com/3Zp95woB5t
— ESSENCE (@Essence) August 6, 2019
“The function of freedom is to free someone else” are some of the wisest, truest words in the world. Thank you, Toni, for giving them to us. Rest in peace. #ToniMorrison pic.twitter.com/HRcl02zG7B
— SparkAction (@sparkaction) August 6, 2019
“We die. That may be the meaning of life. But we do language. That may be the measure of our lives.” RIP, Toni Morrison. https://t.co/DWF7sOFDbw
— Merriam-Webster (@MerriamWebster) August 6, 2019
“I get angry about things, then go on and work.” -Toni Morrison RIP pic.twitter.com/BNDGA5N76p
— Wendell Pierce (@WendellPierce) August 6, 2019
Toni Morrison passed away. At 88 that’s a long and beautifully complex life, one that has contributed so much to the world.✍🏾📚🎙
— 🆃🆁🆄🅳🆈 (@thetrudz) August 6, 2019
And yet seeing this news still made my chest get tight; still hurts. Her vision, her veracity and her voice made the world better. RIP.💛 pic.twitter.com/FviyFAl1X1
She wasn’t just the queen of American letters. She wrote America’s letters. And whether we realize it or not, all Americans and all writers are indebted to Toni Morrison. Sleep well. We are eternally grateful for you. We are eternally grateful for America’s letters. pic.twitter.com/rAf4c1JCEe
— Ibram X. Kendi (@DrIbram) August 6, 2019
‘A writer’s life and work are not a gift to mankind; they are its necessity.’
— Penguin Books UK (@PenguinUKBooks) August 6, 2019
Toni Morrison, 1931 - 2019 pic.twitter.com/HcPdAO8pzN
"It is not 'this is what I believe,' because that would not be a book, just a tract. A book is 'this may be what I believe, but suppose I am wrong...what could it be?'"
— The Paris Review (@parisreview) August 6, 2019
R.I.P., Toni Morrison, 1931 - 2019. Read her complete 1993 Art of Fiction interview: https://t.co/9ra2gdJs5u pic.twitter.com/yvtJ5Ve41D
Toni Morrison. First of Her Name. Architect of Words. Acclaimed Author. Teller of Truths. Shifter of Culture. Netter of Nobel Prize. Writing Domino. Legendary Laureate.
— Awesomely Luvvie (@Luvvie) August 6, 2019
Long may her works reign. pic.twitter.com/4aoLdoU4XA
The world needs voices like Toni Morrison’s today more than ever. Such a loss. https://t.co/S7RdmoMWwg
— Nicola Sturgeon (@NicolaSturgeon) August 6, 2019
“Definitions belong to the definers, not the defined.”
— Tim Ryan (@TimRyan) August 6, 2019
― Toni Morrison
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Nardine Saad covers breaking entertainment news, trending culture topics, celebrities and their kin for the Fast Break Desk at the Los Angeles Times. She joined The Times in 2010 as a MetPro trainee and has reported from homicide scenes, flooded canyons, red carpet premieres and award shows.
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