WASHINGTON, DC – Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, a senior member of the House Committees on Judiciary, Homeland Security, and Budget, released this statement on the passing of Nobel Laureate Toni Morrison:

“I mourn the passing of Toni Morrison, the first African American woman to win the Nobel Prize for Literature, who died yesterday at the age of 88.

“A graduate of Howard University, Ms. Morrison captured the imagination of readers through her prose and the power of the characters she conjured. As one of the first black publishers at Random House, she greenlighted autobiographies from Angela Davis and Muhammed Ali. A descendant of sharecroppers, Ms. Morrison told stories about cultures and groups underrepresented in the literary mainstream. Her work detailing the struggles of those condemned to and living with the reverberations of bondage and slavery were compelling. Her most iconic work, Beloved, told the story of a woman who would kill her daughter in order to save her from a life of slavery. The powerful tale would earn her the Pulitzer prize for literature. It was later adapted into a movie starring Oprah Winfrey, who was also instrumental in introducing Ms. Morrison’s great works, including Song of Solomon, to a new generation of readers.

“Ms. Morrison was a literary legend and a teacher, too. In her life, she taught at Cornell University, Princeton University, and Texas Southern University—in the 18th Congressional District of Texas, and was honored by Oxford University in England with an honorary doctorate. She was a recipient of countless awards, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Barack Obama who, when he gave her the award, indicated that she wrote with a “moral intensity.” And, fortunately, for the countless Americans who mourn her this morning, no measure of literary success would prevent her from dispensing to her fellow countrymen and countrywomen the critical social and political commentary that would run through her work. At times of political discord—like the events preceding the Impeachment of President Bill Clinton, to times of national rejoice—like the election and inauguration of Barack Obama, to the police shootings of unarmed black men which have populated our national collective conscience, Ms. Morrison’s reflections on our body politic were often precise and pointed, and she seldom sacrificed truth and insight for platitudes or complacency.

“Toni Morrison taught many—and reintroduced many others—to the beauty of literature and language, and the African American experience. A deliberate public speaker, she galvanized listeners and readers to challenge mediocrity and embrace self-actualization. She instructed people that “[i]f there is a book that you want to read, but it hasn't been written yet, you must be the one to write it.” And, ever the citizen and participant in our American experiment in democracy, she reminded leaders that as they “enter positions of trust and power, dream a little before you think.” And, indeed, it was perhaps the testament of one of the greatest Americans to ever live who best encapsulated Toni Morrison’s work. The late great Maya Angelou, who preceded Toni Morrison in life and in death, and whose literary prowess is among the few to be considered in proper company alongside that of Toni Morrison, once said that Toni Morrison “didn’t write the English language, she composed it.”

“Toni Morrison brought me and countless others joy and insight through the power of her work, advocacy, and her insight. She will, however, firstly and always be remembered as a storyteller—one of the greatest this nation has ever produced. I will miss her greatly, and at this time my thoughts are with all who survive her and the millions across the globe who mourn her and whose lives she touched. May she rest in peace.”