Bill to honor Toni Morrison passes the House

COLUMBUS— State Reps. Joe Miller (D-Amherst) and Stephanie Howse (D-Cleveland) today announced the passage of legislation honoring the late author Toni Morrison by designating her birthday, February 18, as “Toni Morrison Day” in Ohio.

Morrison, a native of Lorain, rose to prominence through novels and non-fiction works that often examined black identity in America. Her works, including the novels Beloved and Song of Solomon, earned her a Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, a Nobel Prize in Literature, the National Book Foundation's Medal for Distinguished Contributions to American Letters and the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

“Toni Morrison is the embodiment of the promise of Ohio. She made the most of her innate talents with ceaseless hard work and rose to the pinnacle of literary achievement," said Miller. "I am excited that we have the opportunity to recognize Ms. Morrison as one of Ohio's most accomplished creative minds.”

“Toni Morrison’s work stirred our souls, challenged our conscience to confront injustices and encouraged the rest of the world to do the same,” said Howse. “She set the stage for an entire generation of authors to tell their untold stories and celebrate the beautiful diversity of humankind.”

The bill was passed out of the House and now heads to the Ohio Senate for further consideration.