Toni Morrison

Toni grew up in Ohio in a family that loved to sing, tell stories, and tell ghost tales at night.

She became a teacher and later an editor, helping other writers share their stories.

Then she started writing her own books, full of the songs and voices she grew up with.

Her stories helped everyone understand the joys and pains of Black American life.

In 1993 she became the first Black woman ever to win the Nobel Prize in Literature.