The Africa Institute is pleased to announce a two-day program celebrating the life and legacy of literary icon Toni Morrison on February 28 – 29, 2024, at The Africa Hall, Sharjah (location map).
This special event inaugurates the Toni Morrison Senior Fellowship in African Diaspora Literature and Cultural Studies, featuring captivating film screenings and insightful discussions.
Toni Morrison (1931 – 2019), a Nobel Prize-winning author, was a literary trailblazer whose profound works redefined American literature and explored themes of identity, race, and the human experience with unparalleled depth and insight. Her legacy resonates as a powerful voice for social justice and cultural understanding.
The program will highlight The Africa Institute’s recent launch of the prestigious Senior Fellowship in honor of Toni Morrison. The fellowship is aimed at supporting established scholars and independent thinkers who have made significant contributions to African and African Diaspora literature and cultural studies. The first recipient of this fellowship is Philathia Bolton, Associate Professor of English at The University of Akron, Ohio.
“My being selected as the first scholar to have her research supported by the Toni Morrison Senior Fellowship brings me great joy and feels highly significant,” said Professor Bolton. “I will be a U.S. scholar from her home state of Ohio in a different cultural context writing, researching and speaking about her, this iconic person whose works resonated across the globe. I am humbled by this and feel most honored.”
The program shines a spotlight on Morrison’s artistic genius through screenings of two powerful films:
Toni Morrison: The Pieces I Am (2019 | 120 minutes)
Directed by Timothy Greenfield-Sanders, “Toni Morrison: The Pieces I Am” offers an intimate exploration of Morrison’s life and work, featuring interviews with renowned figures like Hilton Als, Angela Davis, and Oprah Winfrey.
The Foreigner’s Home (2018 | 57 minutes)
Directed by Rian Brown and Geoff Pingree, and produced by Ford Morrison, Toni Morrison’s son, “The Foreigner’s Home” delves into her 2006 Louvre exhibition, using exclusive footage and archival materials to illuminate her profound insights on race, identity, and the transformative power of art.
Following each screening, invited scholars and critics will discuss Morrison’s artistic vision and its lasting impact.
Keynote Address
– Farah Jasmine Griffin, William B. Ransford Professor of English and Comparative Literature and African American Studies, Columbia University
Speakers
– Ford Morrison, Architect, Plasma Physics Laboratory, Princeton University, New Jersey
– Margo Crawford, Edmund J. and Louise W. Kahn Professor of English, University of Pennsylvania
– Riché Richardson, Professor of African American Literature, Cornell University
– Manthia Diawara, University Professor of Comparative Literature and Cinema Studies, New York
– Philathia Bolton, Associate Professor of English, The University of Akron, Ohio, and Inaugural Toni Morrison Senior Fellow, The Africa Institute
Join us to explore her timeless themes, engage in stimulating conversations, and pay tribute to the literary genius who continues to inspire generations.
Stay up to date on news relating to the program agenda on our website. The program will be in English and will be recorded and shared on the institute’s YouTube channel.
The Africa Institute is pleased to announce a two-day program celebrating the life and legacy of literary icon Toni Morrison on February 28 – 29, 2024, at The Africa Hall, Sharjah (location map).
The Africa Institute is pleased to announce a two-day program celebrating the life and legacy of literary icon Toni Morrison on February 28 – 29, 2024, at The Africa Hall, Sharjah (location map).
This special event inaugurates the Toni Morrison Senior Fellowship in African Diaspora Literature and Cultural Studies, featuring captivating film screenings and insightful discussions.
Toni Morrison (1931 – 2019), a Nobel Prize-winning author, was a literary trailblazer whose profound works redefined American literature and explored themes of identity, race, and the human experience with unparalleled depth and insight. Her legacy resonates as a powerful voice for social justice and cultural understanding.
The program will highlight The Africa Institute’s recent launch of the prestigious Senior Fellowship in honor of Toni Morrison. The fellowship is aimed at supporting established scholars and independent thinkers who have made significant contributions to African and African Diaspora literature and cultural studies. The first recipient of this fellowship is Philathia Bolton, Associate Professor of English at The University of Akron, Ohio.
“My being selected as the first scholar to have her research supported by the Toni Morrison Senior Fellowship brings me great joy and feels highly significant,” said Professor Bolton. “I will be a U.S. scholar from her home state of Ohio in a different cultural context writing, researching and speaking about her, this iconic person whose works resonated across the globe. I am humbled by this and feel most honored.”
The program shines a spotlight on Morrison’s artistic genius through screenings of two powerful films:
Toni Morrison: The Pieces I Am (2019 | 120 minutes)
Directed by Timothy Greenfield-Sanders, “Toni Morrison: The Pieces I Am” offers an intimate exploration of Morrison’s life and work, featuring interviews with renowned figures like Hilton Als, Angela Davis, and Oprah Winfrey.
The Foreigner’s Home (2018 | 57 minutes)
Directed by Rian Brown and Geoff Pingree, and produced by Ford Morrison, Toni Morrison’s son, “The Foreigner’s Home” delves into her 2006 Louvre exhibition, using exclusive footage and archival materials to illuminate her profound insights on race, identity, and the transformative power of art.
Following each screening, invited scholars and critics will discuss Morrison’s artistic vision and its lasting impact.
Keynote Address
– Farah Jasmine Griffin, William B. Ransford Professor of English and Comparative Literature and African American Studies, Columbia University
Speakers
– Ford Morrison, Architect, Plasma Physics Laboratory, Princeton University, New Jersey
– Margo Crawford, Edmund J. and Louise W. Kahn Professor of English, University of Pennsylvania
– Riché Richardson, Professor of African American Literature, Cornell University
– Manthia Diawara, University Professor of Comparative Literature and Cinema Studies, New York
– Philathia Bolton, Associate Professor of English, The University of Akron, Ohio, and Inaugural Toni Morrison Senior Fellow, The Africa Institute
Join us to explore her timeless themes, engage in stimulating conversations, and pay tribute to the literary genius who continues to inspire generations.
Stay up to date on news relating to the program agenda on our website. The program will be in English and will be recorded and shared on the institute’s YouTube channel.
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