When world-renowned author Toni Morrison visited Northeastern University’s Boston campus in 2013, she told the audience of nearly 1,000 people that the quiet force of goodness—a force often overlooked—was more powerful than violence or hatred.
“Evil and violence take the stage—all of it. It needs so much to call our attention,” Morrison said. “But goodness doesn’t need anything. If it says anything at all, it’s a whisper.”
The Nobel laureate and Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist died on Monday, Aug. 5, leaving behind whole generations that were inspired by her work—a legacy of goodness.
“I know myself, as a scholar, as a black woman in the academy, I looked to her as a model,” said Nicole Aljoe, who is the director of the African and African American Studies Program and an associate professor of English at Northeastern. “I hope that I’m able to be a bridge for others the way she was for so many.”
