Ohio Launches Yearlong Celebration of Toni Morrison with February 18 Kickoff Event

Promotional image for Ohio Celebrates Toni Morrison, featuring several black and white images of Morrison superimposed on a map of the Lake Erie shoreline and the outline of the state of Ohio.

On Wednesday, February 18, 2026, Ohio will officially launch Beloved: Ohio Celebrates Toni Morrison—a yearlong, statewide celebration honoring the life, work, and legacy of Toni Morrison—with a kickoff event at The Columbus Foundation. About Toni Morrison and her Ohio Connections Born in Lorain, Ohio, on February 18, 1931, Toni Morrison became the first African American woman to win the Nobel Prize … Read More

Ohio to host statewide celebration of writer and Nobel Prize winner Toni Morrison

Promotional image for Ohio Celebrates Toni Morrison, featuring the word 'Beloved.' in written script and several black and white images of Morrison superimposed on a map of the Lake Erie shoreline and the outline of the state of Ohio. Additional text reads 'A Statewide Toni Morrison Celebration. From February 18, 2026 through February 18, 2027, Ohio will celebrate the life, literature, and legacy of Toni Morrison, Lorain, Ohio native and the first black woman to win the Nobel Prize in Literature' above the Literary Cleveland and Ohio Humanities logos.

Ohio Humanities is today announcing an upcoming statewide, yearlong celebration of Ohio native Toni Morrison—one of the most noteworthy authors of the last century and the first Black woman to win a Nobel Prize. “Beloved: Ohio Celebrates Toni Morrison” will run from February 18, 2026 to February 18, 2027, beginning on Morrison’s birthday with a kickoff event in Ohio’s capital … Read More

Sacred Soul

The Great Serpent Mound, located in Southern Ohio, is one of the most recognizable effigy mounds in American archaeology. Experts have not yet determined its origins, but many archaeologists believe that it was constructed about 1,000 years ago, significantly later than the Hopewell culture. Although it is not part of the Hopewell Ceremonial Earthworks, additional efforts are underway to have … Read More

Humanities at Play: Wilfried Nancy

The expressive Frenchman – a one-time professional footballer now coaching the Columbus Crew – stood beaming on the pitch at Lower.com Field, basking in the overwhelming joy of his team’s Major League Soccer championship. On that night in late 2023, in his first year with the Crew, Wilfried Nancy had just become the first Black coach to win an MLS … Read More

Humanities at Play: Toni Shorter Smith

Toni Shorter Smith has championed African-American culture in Ohio in profound ways. Among other work, she mobilized and trained a team of 30 volunteers to research and document African-American settlements in Central Ohio for Columbus Landmarks. She was instrumental in creating the Aminah Robinson Legacy Project with the Columbus Museum of Art, which honors the late artist’s legacy by offering … Read More

Humanities at Play: Mike Carey

Mike Carey

Mike Carey was raised on a family farm in Sabina, Ohio, which he credits for instilling in him the values of hard work and community. He earned his history degree from The Ohio State University and followed family tradition by serving as a military officer before spending more than two decades as an advocate for coal miners. Now, he is … Read More

Saving history through public art

By Alex Corpuz On Juneteenth this year, I made a trip to Athens, Ohio, to see the unveiling of a mural depicting the history of the founding of Mount Zion Baptist Church. Now the Mount Zion Black Cultural Center, the former church is a prominent landmark for the Black community of Athens County. The mural—painted by community members and displayed … Read More

“Nothing about us, without us”

Attendees at the park's grand opening gather outside the visitor's center at Great Council State Park

By Aaron Rovan Ohio Humanities Program Officer Aaron Rovan attended the opening of Great Council State Park earlier this month. Below, he reflects on the event—and previews a new Ohio Humanities-funded podcast that shares the stories of Native Ohioans. On a clear morning in early June, I stood shoulder-to-shoulder in a crowd of hundreds of people in Xenia, a small town near … Read More

Our 2023 impact

The filmmakers behind "My Name is Annabel" discuss the film during a panel at the 2023 Chagrin Documentary Film Festival

At Ohio Humanities, we envision an Ohio where people’s unique stories are heard, the past is linked to the present, and a better future is realized together. In 2023, we invested $488,858 in grant funding in Ohio’s stories and storytellers, sparking conversations and inspiring ideas across the state. Our 2023 Impact Report highlights the ways in which documentary film is … Read More

Five takeaways from The Lincoln School Story

Dr. Carlotta Penn, second from left, answers a question during Ohio Humanities' panel at Case Western Reserve University Law School after a screening of 'The Lincoln School Story'

Thanks for joining Ohio Humanities and the Social Justice Law Center at Case Western Reserve University School of Law for a screening of The Lincoln School Story last week! We’re grateful to the Social Justice Institute, the Black Law Student Association, and the Black History Exhibit Planning Committee at CWRU for cosponsoring the program. Jenny Hamel, host of Sound of Ideas on WKSU/Ideastream … Read More