Toni Morrison’s words still have the power to shake the world. Even in an era when her books face censorship, her legacy continues to inspire. Now, bestselling author Andrea Davis Pinkney is ensuring the next generation knows the impact of the literary legend with a new children’s book, “And She Was Loved.”
“I like to think of the book as a praise poem, a love letter and a thank you to Toni Morrison…the way it’s written is that we, the reader, are talking to Toni Morrison, and she, in turn, is talking to us,” Pinkney tells ESSENCE, describing her poetic children’s picture book.
A towering figure in American literature, Morrison was a master storyteller whose works explored race, history, identity and the complexities of Black life. As the first Black woman to win the Nobel Prize in Literature, she gave voice to the untold stories of Black people in America with novels like “Beloved”, “The Bluest Eye” and “Song of Solomon”. Her writing was poetic yet unflinching, capturing the beauty and the pain of the Black experience. Beyond her novels, Morrison was a fierce advocate for Black writers, an influential editor and a professor who shaped generations of literary minds.
As a former editor of Morrison’s children’s books, Pinkney sees her work as more crucial than ever in today’s politically charged climate. Several years after her passing, Morrison’s works continue to face scrutiny. As Time reports, “Morrison’s works are a regular fixture on the American Library Association (ALA) ‘s annual list of the top 10 most challenged books.”
Pinkney’s new book arrives at a time when the works of the prolific writer are under renewed scrutiny. During her lifetime, the Pulitzer Prize-winning author actively spoke out against book bans, which she viewed as one of the worst forms of censorship.
Morrison penned the introduction for “Burn This Book: PEN Writers Speak Out About the Power of the Word,” in 2009, writing “The thought that leads me to contemplate with dread the erasure of other voices, of unwritten novels, poems whispered or swallowed for fear of being overheard by the wrong people, outlawed languages flourishing underground, essayists’ questions challenging authority never being posed, unstaged plays, canceled films—that thought is a nightmare. As though a whole universe is being described in invisible ink.”
Despite the relentless criticism of Morrison’s works, Pinkney remains hopeful. She believes that “Toni Morrison is a voice that will endure.” As she explained, “Stories connect us, and that is what the future is—a continuation of what we have always done, which is tell stories. And that’s what’s going to last at the end of the day.”
In fact, Pinkney recalls Morrison’s advice about tough times, “this is the precise moment where artists need to get to work. So we are in that moment now where artists all need to get to work, especially those who are telling stories and producing works that are meant to be read. This is where we don’t back down.”
These words were, in part, her inspiration for writing “And She Was Loved.” “Like every child, Toni Morrison had a very active imagination, and she discovered her own storytelling power as a child,” said Pinkney, adding, “And I thought, what better way to introduce to young people their own ability to tell and share stories.”
“Morrison, because of her universal ability to tell stories, they touched all of us,” says Pinkney, who believes this book is especially important for young people, who she calls “the storytellers of tomorrow.”
As a tribute to her mentor, “And She Was Loved” serves as a poetic passing of the torch. By educating the next generation, Pinkney wants to empower these young voices to craft, shape and share stories to inspire.
“Toni Morrison is one among many to come who will keep our stories alive, our people front and center, our hard work, our grit, our enthusiasm, jubilation,” Pinkney shares.. “It is never too early to empower young folks with the voice and the power of storytelling.” And like Morrison’s children’s books, “And She Was Loved” serves as an example of Pinkney’s similar goal as a writer in cultivating a love of reading and storytelling in young people.
