A statement from the White House confirmed that author and educator Toni Morrison will be awarded a Presidential Medal of Freedom. The Pulitzer prize winning Morrison will be honored along with Bob Dylan, astronaut John Glenn, Girl Scouts founder Juliette Gordon Low, former secretary of state Madeline Albright, and others. “These extraordinary honorees come from different backgrounds and different walks of life, but each of them have made a lasting contribution to the life of our nation,” President Obama said.
In 1993, Morrison became the first African American woman to win a Nobel Peace Prize. The Howard University alum established residency at Oberlin College earlier this year and serves on the editorial board for The Nation . The prestigious award ceremony is scheduled for later this year.
