Ohio to organize a year -old celebration of Toni Morrison in honor of America’s 250th birthday

As America approaches its 250th birthday, the state of Ohio will commemorate the milestone with an annual initiative in honor of literary Icon Toni Morrison.

From February 18, 2026, in Columbus and by Morrison’s 2027 Birthday in her hometown Lorain, the state of Buckeye will honor The Nobel and Pulitzer-Prize-winning author with events that celebrate her work and the many artists she inspired, the Columbus Shipping Reports.

“Beloved: Ohio celebrates Toni Morrison” was organized by Ohio Humanities and Literary Cleveland and planned in addition to the national effort to commemorate America’s 250th birthday next year until year -long America250 parties.

“Our ambition is for every person in Ohio – young and old – to come into contact with Toni Morrison’s life, literature and inheritance the following year,” said Literary Cleveland Executive Director Matt Weinkam. “This is our chance to celebrate the greatest artist in the history of our state.”

Rebecca ASMO, executive director of Ohio Humanities, called the initiative an opportunity to honor a big American and introduce more readers to her work. Morrison, the first black woman who won the Nobel Prize in the literature, wrote 11 novels that explore the Black American Experience before her death in 2019 at the age of 88.

Many of her works got out of her home, with The blueest eye Set in Lorain and Loved In Cincinnati. Organizers hope that the celebration will deepen the connections with its legacy prior to what her 100th birthday would have been in 2031.

“What you get is an opportunity to really look at American history and the struggle of America to become a perfect union through the lens of Morrison’s literature,” said Asmo. “She was an avid supporter of literature and art as an important part of a strong social matter and a strong democracy. That was a fundamental idea of ​​this.”

The annual tribute will contain public lectures by Morrison’s works, talks from author, writing competitions, performances, film screenings and city -specific events that reflect her influence. An interactive website Will offer program data, reading and discussion guides, podcasts and an event calendar all over the state.

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