Toni Morrison at her upstate New York home in the 1980s

On Wednesday, Feb. 18, Ohio will officially launch Beloved: Ohio Celebrates Toni Morrison—a yearlong, statewide celebration honoring the life, work, and legacy of Toni Morrison—with a kickoff event at The Columbus Foundation. 

Literary Cleveland is one of the celebration’s organizers, and several local organizations are also joining in the celebration by hosting events and activities, including Karamu House, East Cleveland Public Library, Willoughby-Eastlake Public Library, the Cleveland Association of Black Storytellers, and the Cleveland Public Library.

“Our ambition is for every person in Ohio—young and old—to engage with Toni Morrison’s life, literature, and legacy over the next year,” says Literary Cleveland executive director Matt Weinkam. “This is our opportunity to celebrate the greatest artist in our state’s history. Her writing challenges and inspires us as much today as when it was first published, and we can’t wait to bring it to life this year all across Ohio.”

Toni Morrison’s Ohio connections
Born in Lorain on February 18, 1931, Toni Morrison became the first Black woman to win the Nobel Prize in Literature and was a recipient of the Pulitzer Prize for her novel “Beloved.”
Her 11 novels trace American history through the Black experience—from “A Mercy,” set in the 1680s, to “God Help the Child,” her 11^th and final novel and set in the early 2000s—offering readers a journey through time and truth.

Author author Namwali SerpellMorrison’s debut novel, “The Bluest Eye,” was published in 1970 and is set in her hometown of Lorain; “Sula” takes place in a fictional Ohio town; and “Beloved” is set in Cincinnati.

The Ohio Celebrates Toni Morrison project builds on the State of Ohio’s declaration of February 18 as Toni Morrison Day and aligns with America250, a national effort commemorating the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.

About the project
Beloved: Ohio Celebrates Toni Morrison is a yearlong celebration from February 2026 through February 18, 2027 exploring the life, literature, and legacy of Toni Morrison.

Led by Literary Cleveland and Ohio Humanities with support from Ohioana Library Association and the Toni Morrison Society, the program will invite all Ohioans to learn about Toni Morrison, read her work, reflect on American history, discuss the themes of her writing, and build connections across the state.

“Through her incredible storytelling, Toni Morrison became a powerful advocate for the power of literature and art to promote democracy worldwide,” says Ohio Humanities Executive Director Rebecca Asmo. “Though she is no longer with us, her work—and her words—remain alive and more relevant than ever.”

Poet and essayist Hanif AbdurraqibThe Columbus kickoff
The celebration will open on Toni Morrison Day, Wednesday, Feb. 18, with a kickoff event at The Columbus Foundation at 5 p.m., featuring a conversation between author Namwali Serpell and poet and essayist Hanif Abdurraqib.

Inspired by Serpell’s new book “On Morrison,” the conversation will explore Morrison’s lasting influence and why her work continues to matter today. The kickoff event will be live-streamed, opening the conversation to audiences across Ohio and beyond. Livestream registration is open.

The kickoff is one of more than 40 confirmed events across the state with more to be added soon.

Yearlong events include:

• Free statewide virtual book club reading and discussing the 11 novels of Toni Morrison from February 2026 through February 2027.
• Monthly essays on Toni Morrison published by Cleveland Review of Books in collaboration with Ohio Humanities’ yearly publication Lumen.

• A community celebration and reading at the historic Karamu House.
• Screening of the film “Beloved” at the Dayton Metro Library and the documentary “Toni Morrison: The Pieces I Am” at East Cleveland Public Library in collaboration with America250 Ohio Goes to the Movies.
• Storytime reading of the children’s book “Please, Louise,” written by Toni Morrison and Slade Morrison, at the Willoughby-Eastlake Public Library.
• Toni Morrison reading and a celebration with Cynthia Amoah, Dr. Carlotta Penn, Claudia Owusu, and Rachael "Rae" Scott at Bexley Public Library in Columbus.
• A reading from Morrison's novel “Jazz,” accompanied by Jazz musicians from the Youngstown State University Dana School of Music.

• “After the War: Black Veterans, Memory,” and “Morrison’s America” with LitOfWar in Columbus in April.
• A reading, live performance, and conversation celebrating “Song of Solomon,” led by the Cleveland Association of Black Storytellers in Cleveland in June.
• Margaret Garner Bus & Walking Tour in Cincinnati led by the Harriet Beecher Stowe House in September.
• A visit and reading from Andrea Davis Pinkney, author of “And She Was Loved: Toni Morrison's Life in Stories” at Cleveland Public Library in September.
• An art festival, FireFish Festival: “Freedom Lifts Us,” honoring Morrison’s legacy in her hometown of Lorain on September 19.
• Beloved-themed event in Cincinnati in January 2027.
• Closing celebration in Morrison’s hometown of Lorain on February 18, 2027.

Toni Morrison at her upstate New York home in the 1980s

Volunteer opportunities, ways to host a program, or to support the celebration through donations, are also listed on the Ohio Celebrates Toni Morrison site. Everyone is invited to read, gather, and engage with Toni Morrison’s work throughout this yearlong statewide celebration. Email Literary Cleveland to learn more.

Beloved: Ohio Celebrates Toni Morrison was created and is led by Literary Cleveland and Ohio Humanities, with support from the Ohioana Library Association, Ohio Center for the Book, and the Toni Morrison Society, as well as funding from the George Gund Foundation and The Columbus Foundation.