Kahla McKinnie
Black History Month is finally upon us. Even though black excellence deserves to be celebrated everyday, this is the one month out of the year where blackness is highlighted and celebrated. There have been many iconic black figures throughout history and even today, but the one who speaks the most to me is Toni Morrison. Toni Morrison (1931-2019) was a famous novelist and poet, writing countless works of art such as “The Bluest Eye” (1970), “Beloved” (1987),"Song of Solomon” (1977) and many more. She also wrote a volume that consisted of five poems. One of the poems she wrote, titled “Someone leans near”, goes as follows:
Someone leans near
And sees the salt your eyes have shed.
You wait, longing to hear
Words of reason, love or play
To lash or lull you toward the hollow day.
Silence kneads your fear
Of crumbled star-ash sifting down
Clouding the rooms here, here.
You shore up your heart to run. To stay.
But no sign or design marks the narrow way.
Then on your skin a breath caresses
The salt your eyes have shed.
And you remember a call clear, so clear
“You will never die again.”
Once more you know
You will never die again.
Throughout her legacy she has won countless awards, one of which was the Nobel Peace prize. Even though Toni Morrison is no longer with us in flesh she will always be remembered for her incredible tenacity and the magic she had with words. Her legacy will live on through her countless works of literature and her character alone.