The Postal Service celebrated the stamp release honoring literary giant Toni Morrison at Princeton University in New Jersey on March 7.
Morrison (1931-2019) was the rare author who achieved both critical and commercial success. Some of her best-known novels include “The Bluest Eye,” “Song of Solomon” and “Beloved,” which explored the diverse voices and multifaceted experiences of African Americans.
“One of the goals of our stamp program is to raise awareness and celebrate the people who represent the very best of our nation,” said Pritha Mehra, USPS chief information officer and executive vice president, who served as the dedicating official.
Morrison’s many honors include the National Book Critics Circle Award, the Pulitzer Prize for fiction, the National Humanities Medal and the Presidential Medal of Freedom. In 1993, she made history as the first African American woman to win the Nobel Prize in literature.
“It’s a privilege to represent the 650,000 men and women of the Postal Service as we honor Toni Morrison with one more tribute — our new stamp that will be seen by millions and forever remind us of the power of her words and the ideas she brought to the world,” Mehra said.
Joining Mehra for the ceremony were Chris Eisgruber, president of Princeton University; Carla Hayden, librarian of Congress; Gene Jarrett, faculty dean at Princeton; Ruha Benjamin, professor of African American studies at Princeton; and photographer Deborah Feingold, whose portrait of Morrison appears on the stamp.
Michael Cadden, a lecturer at Princeton’s Lewis Center for the Arts, was master of ceremonies.
The stamp features Feingold’s photograph of Toni Morrison against a bright yellow background. Ethel Kessler, an art director for USPS, designed the Forever stamp.
The Toni Morrison stamp is available in panes of 20 at Post Offices and usps.com.
