Toni Morrison received a posthumous tribute on Tuesday and is now memorialized with her own Forever stamp by the United States Postal Service (USPS).
Art director Ethel Kessler is responsible for the design, and “[t]he portrait featured on the stamp — with Morrison smiling, looking straight into the camera, against a yellow backdrop — was part of a 1997 photo shoot by Deborah Feingold for the cover of Time magazine,” reports The New York Times.
The official announcement and unveiling occurred in a ceremony at Princeton University, where Morrison previously taught at the “height of her career.” It is “part of a series throughout the 2022-23 academic year dedicated to Ms. Morrison’s work, including lectures and an exhibit of her writing.” The entire ceremony is available to watch on YouTube.
As The Root notes, “No one can say we didn’t give Toni Morrison her flowers while she was with us; prior to her death on August 5, 2019, the Beloved author had amassed a Nobel Prize in Literature, a Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, the Presidential Medal of Freedom and countless other accolades.”
This latest honor was another flower for Morrison, with former President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama writing a letter to commemorate the occasion and Oprah Winfrey providing a video message in support of the iconic author.
The Obamas wrote, “We’re honored to join Toni Morrison’s family and everyone gathered here in celebrating one of the world’s greatest storytellers…Toni told fundamental truths about our country and the human condition. But she didn’t just reflect what was true. She helped generations of Black Americans reimagine what was possible. That’s why we return to her stories again and again, finding new meaning each time.”
“Toni Morrison’s books are in so many of our homes and abide in our hearts because she served as a catalyst for generations of readers over the years to understand the power of reading and words,” said Winfrey in her video message.
At the ceremony, Feingold reminisced on the photoshoot with Morrison, stating “Toni remained focused and present, her expression for every frame was one of kindness. I have never taken that photoshoot for granted. And standing in front of you today, I humbly admit that this is beyond an honor.”
Other icons whose stamps are being released this year include fellow Black award-winning author Ernest J. Gaines, former Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, artist Roy Lichtenstein, and Chief Standing Bear.
The Citizens’ Stamp Advisory Committee, appointed by the Postmaster General, is responsible for selecting “subjects for recommendation as future stamp issues, made with all postal customers in mind, including stamp collectors.” There are about 30,000 nominations received each year, and the committee is tasked with immensely narrowing down the field.
Even today, with the rise of email and the digital age, stamps are still relevant. With a “Forever” designation, Morrison’s stamp will endure in perpetuity, just like her legacy.
USPS has compiled a list where you can see all the African American subjects honored with their own postage stamp.