Pleased to have with us Toni Morrison for indepth conversation about her lifes work. Toni morrison, as he began, ive seen several citations that you told people that its easiest best most apt to describe you as a black woman novelist. Is that correct . Absolutely. What are we the public to take away from your choice of those three words . I think it was an attempt on my part to choose to be given the status of honorary white male writer. Generally speaking, womens work has been reduced to regional or merely or people complement ethnic writers by saying or implying that they are as good as mainstream writers and whereas i understand the complement, i thought it would be better for me to, at least in the late 60s early 70s to establish once and for all that all three of those things play, and black, i am a woman, and im a writer and they go together. Youve also always been a teacher. Yes. Why is that important to who you are and what you do . Edit quite know what else to do when i gradua
That was a man who was employed by the tulsa tribune and he in turn employed me, didnt employ any young black newsboys. I was employed by mister ripitso, it always and always clear what that was. In the afternoon, he was throwing newspapers and i helped him, wrapped them and prepared for the delivery and then went around with him to deliver the newspapers and i didnt collect, he collected the money and he had all the contact with the newspaper. I had no contacts with the newspaper though they knew that i was in front, they employed no black people. Host your father was a lawyer . Guest my father was a lawyer, yes. I contacted people through him, but it was not a serious thing. Host where were you born . Guest in oklahoma south of tulsa, the name of the village was rentersville, oklahoma. My father and mother moved there in 191112 because he had experiences in shreveport, louisiana, these were not pleasant and he moved to an allblack town because of the way they treated him injuries rep
South of tulsa about 60 miles south. My father and mother moved there about 1911 or 12 because he had had experiences in shreveport, louisiana. These are as red experiences that were not present. He was ready to give up on the white people because the way they treated him. He had been thrown out of court in shreveport, louisiana. So he retreated from shreveport and where he was practicing and went to an allblack town. Due to the humiliation he experienced in shreveport. They moved to in about 1912. What was that experience like . It was not all that much better because although the strife that was going on separated the methodist from the baptists and the baptists were hard on my mother and father because they were methodist. And the result was, the strife was not racial, but religions. Not at all convenient or comfortable. I was born there. They lived there for several years after i was born. But they were not happy there. Not nearly because of the hostility but because it was such a
The entire black community was burned to the ground so the only what sparked that riot . A young black man who was accused of assaulting, a sexually assaulting a white woman in an elevator. He had been acquitted. But the White Community felt justice had not been served. And that most of the white people felt all the blocks should be taught a lesson. Although he had been in jail and was being accused of this crime. The white people said they would get him out of jail and commit the kind of harm to him that would teach all the black people in the community a lesson. So the black Community Felt he would be seized and lynched. Large numbers of black people went back to the courthouse, armed. They were about to take him and give him protection when they were assured nothing would happen to him. And that they should go back to that part of town. Which they were willing to do but as they retreated from the courthouse. Someone fire the gun and the rest is history. Good afternoon and welcome to
Story author of bestselling from slavery to freedom appeared 2006. The first white man that engage me that i remember when i was in high school and it was a man from the afternoon newspaper. The tribune did not employ any young black newsboys. I was employed with another job i wasnt always clear what it was but in the afternoon i helped him tied the newspapers and wrap them or whatever we di did. That i help to deliver the newspapers. But i did not collect. He collected the money and he had all the contacts i had no contact with the newspaper all theyll know they knew i was employed by him. But there were no black people to serve as newsboys. My father was a lawyer. I had contact with white people through him, but most casual and not serious just being introduced. Was born in a village in oklahoma south of tulsa about 60 miles south and my father and mother move there in 1912 because he had experience from Shreveport Louisiana and these experiences were not pleasant so they moved to wh