(MENAFN) The US Postal Service has released a new Forever stamp honoring author Toni Morrison, who died in 2019. The stamp features a headshot of Morrison against a yellow background that was taken by Deborah Feingold during a 1997 photoshoot for TIME Magazine. It is designed by art director Ethel Kessler, and is a Forever stamp, meaning it will never expire, even if the price of stamps changes.
Morrison, who is best known for books like "Beloved" and "The Bluest Eye," often wrote about themes of racism and the mistreatment of African Americans. In 1989, she became a professor at Princeton University, and in 1993, she became the first Black woman to be awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature.
The USPS selects about 25 to 30 ideas for new stamps each year, even though they receive about 30,000 suggestions. Morrison was chosen because she has "made extraordinary and enduring contributions to American society," according to a spokesperson for USPS.
Princeton University, where Morrison taught, held a ceremony to celebrate the stamp's release. Several friends and fans remembered Morrison at the ceremony, including former President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama, who wrote a letter, and Oprah Winfrey, who provided a video message.
"Toni Morrison's books are in so many of our homes and abide in our hearts because she served as a catalyst for generations of readers over the years to understand the power of reading and words," said Winfrey, who often included Morrison's works in her book club and also starred in the film adaptation of "Beloved."
Morrison has been honored with a stamp before. In 1993, the year she won the Nobel Prize in Literature, Sweden created a stamp for her, and in 2000, the island of Palau also honored her with a stamp.
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