Scions of Magic: Morrison's Legacy and the Black Ancestral Journey by Cox, Kevin https://padlet.com/kevcox/scionsofmagic A digital exhibit showcasing the impact Toni Morrison's legacy has had on new Black YA Novelists. en-us 2023-04-27 14:56:53 UTC 2025-12-07 04:23:13 UTC hello@padlet.com kevcox https://padlet.com/kevcox/scionsofmagic/wish/2570547918 Within Toni Morrison's Song of Solomon, we see the character Milkman embark on an ancestral journey that carries with it a narrative legacy, defining this quest as a frame (such as the hero's journey) for current Black fiction narratives who seek to provide their protagonists with challenges, growth, revelation, and most importantly, and understanding of and embracing of their ancestry.

However, this legacy extends beyond Morrison's novel and exudes from Morrison herself. As a Black ancestor within literature, Morrison has gifted her legacy to a new generation of Black Young Adult authors: Tomi Adeyemi and her novel Children of Blood and Bone; Angie Thomas and her novel The Hate U Give; and George M. Johnson's non-fiction "memoir-manifesto" All Boys Aren't Blue. 

Within this exhibit we will first be examining Morrison's impact of those authors through a series of interviews and articles each author has participated in, in which they discuss their relationship with Toni Morrison and her work. 

Then, in a separate essay, we will look at those author's most popular novels (and memoir) that embody Milkman's ancestral journey and adopt it into a new narrative style, bringing Morrison's legacy to a new generation of readers who have mostly begun reading after Morrison's death. 


]]> 2023-04-27 15:13:47 UTC https://padlet.com/kevcox/scionsofmagic/wish/2570547918 Rootedness: The Ancestor as Foundation kevcox https://padlet.com/kevcox/scionsofmagic/wish/2570554591 Here is a series of quotes from Morrison's own essay "Rootedness: The Ancestor as Foundation."


“…new information has got to get out, and there are several ways to do it. One is the novel.” (58)

This quote works to establish Morrison's ideas about the novel and its power as a way to communicate information and lived experience.

“It should be beautiful, and powerful, but it should also work. It should have something in it that enlightens; something in it that opens the door and points the way. Something in it that suggests what the conflicts are, what the problems are.” (58-59)

"It seems to me that the best art is political and you ought to be able to make it unquestionably political and irrevocably beautiful at the same time.” (64) 

In these quotes, Morrison discusses what makes a powerful novel, well, powerful. 
This serves to form a frame through which I selected the three novels for this exhibit. They work. They're beautiful. They're powerful. They point the way. They're political.

“…it seems to me interesting to evaluate Black literature on what the author does with the presence of the ancestor.” (61).

Morrison is thinking about the ancestor in her work, overtly. These authors engage with the ancestor as well, in unique ways that will be addressed in each section.

“It was the absence of the ancestor that was frightening, that was threatening, and it caused huge destruction and disarray in the work itself.” (62)





]]> 2023-04-27 15:18:29 UTC https://padlet.com/kevcox/scionsofmagic/wish/2570554591 kevcox https://padlet.com/kevcox/scionsofmagic/wish/2570557156 Tomi Adeyemi is the author of break-out hit Children of Blood and Bone. Her novel was published while subsequently obtaining a movie deal with Disney, and that movie is currently in development. Before we begin looking at her novel, though, let's look at one of our first artifacts in this exhibit!]]> 2023-04-27 15:20:14 UTC https://padlet.com/kevcox/scionsofmagic/wish/2570557156 An Interview with Bustle kevcox https://padlet.com/kevcox/scionsofmagic/wish/2570569147 https://www.bustle.com/p/what-toni-morrison-meant-to-black-women-writers-in-their-own-words-18551986

Shortly after Morrison's death, Bustle interviewed female Black authors to discover what Toni Morrison meant to them and their careers. We not only see Tomi Adeyemi present in this piece, but a number of other incredibly important Black voices in contemporary literature: N.K. Jemisin (How Long 'Til Black Future Month?), Elizabeth Acevedo (The Poet X), Rena Barron (Kingdom of Souls), Yvonne Battle-Felton (Remembered), Trisha R. Thomas (Nappily Married), and many, many more. 

With such a powerful chorus of voices detailing their inspirations from Morrison, her legacy as both icon, author, and ancestor is abundantly clear.
 
Let's look at Tomi Adeyemi's quote from this interview: “To me, Toni Morrison was the icon who carried our torch. She wrote our truths with elegance and grace at a time when the world still didn’t want to acknowledge black beauty and power. I will be eternally grateful for all she did, all she empowered, and all the walls she broke down so other black writers could follow in her footsteps.”



]]> 2023-04-27 15:28:56 UTC https://padlet.com/kevcox/scionsofmagic/wish/2570569147 Children of Blood and Bone kevcox https://padlet.com/kevcox/scionsofmagic/wish/2570570469 In Adeyemi's Children of Blood and Bone, the character Zélie Adebola must go on a journey to restore the Magic of her ancestors to the world in order to combat and ruthless and oppressive regime. To do so, she must learn of her ancestors at a place of knowledge while becoming a part of the community that she reluctantly swears to protect. 

Zélie's journey parallel's Milkman's in many ways. First, she leaves her home at the urging of an ancestor, travels to learn about her ancestors, and then journeys to retrieve an artifact left behind by her ancestors, and in doing so, embraces self-discovery and growth. 

The role of the ancestor within this novel is integral to its politics, as it deals with the generational trauma that comes with oppression. Zélie also has a unique relationship with ancestry, as her magic involves invoking the spirits of the dead, including her mother at one point. ]]> 2023-04-27 15:29:57 UTC https://padlet.com/kevcox/scionsofmagic/wish/2570570469 kevcox https://padlet.com/kevcox/scionsofmagic/wish/2570577735 Angie Thomas, author of The Hate U Give, also secured a movie deal shortly after publishing her novel. The Hate U Give took the world by storm as a powerful narrative inspired by the killing of Oscar Grant and the protests that followed in 2009. She had started this novel in college as a response to those protests, but then: Trayvon Martin. Mike Brown. Tamir Rice. Sandra Bland. 
Angie Thomas knew she had to continue this novel and publish it. ]]> 2023-04-27 15:35:26 UTC https://padlet.com/kevcox/scionsofmagic/wish/2570577735 The Killing of Tamir Rice kevcox https://padlet.com/kevcox/scionsofmagic/wish/2570579128 This is the first NYT article detailing the tragic killing of Tamir Rice. This incident served as one of the many inspirations for Tomi Adeyemi’s Children of Blood and Bone, which uses Morrison’s ideas of potent politics and irrevocable beauty within a novel and delivers those ideals to a Young Adult Audience. 

]]> 2023-04-27 15:36:30 UTC https://padlet.com/kevcox/scionsofmagic/wish/2570579128 An Interview with The Rumpus kevcox https://padlet.com/kevcox/scionsofmagic/wish/2570590486 In this interview, Angie Thomas details many aspects of her writing career. It is full of fantastic information about Thomas and her process of writing The Hate U Give.

When asked who her writing heroes are, Angie Thomas answers immediately. She is able to name a catalogue of wonderful Black authors, but first and chief among them, she says: "Toni Morrison, for sure."

]]> 2023-04-27 15:44:55 UTC https://padlet.com/kevcox/scionsofmagic/wish/2570590486 The Murder of Oscar Grant kevcox https://padlet.com/kevcox/scionsofmagic/wish/2570594063 This is an article about the protests following the death of Oscar Grant, the death and wave of protests that inspired (along with the death of Trayvon Martin) Angie Thomas’ writing of The Hate U Give. 

It's important to note, too, that these deaths have in part inspired all political Black authors; let there be no illusion that these articles are inspirational only to the novels mentioned here. There are a myriad of other articles detailing these events, but perhaps, for the most real, intimate, and immediate way to empathize with these events is to read. Read, and protest. The Hate U Give does both. ]]> 2023-04-27 15:47:27 UTC https://padlet.com/kevcox/scionsofmagic/wish/2570594063 The Hate U Give kevcox https://padlet.com/kevcox/scionsofmagic/wish/2570595709 The Hate U Give deals with ancestry in a tragic way. Thomas explores her views on ancestry through the lens of community, an updated way of honoring legacy for a new generation of readers. What this involves is thinking about the killings of young Black men and women and honoring those dead as ancestors.
Furthermore, it invokes the ancestor through community and what it means to be authentic to your ancestors. Both Maverick and Uncle Carlos in The Hate U Give relate to that theme in different ways, with each working to impose their views of Blackness onto Starr. Maverick represents changing ones community from within, while Uncle Carlos represents "healing" through assimilation. 
An important aspect to focus on within this novel is the death of Khalil and how so much of Starr's journey within this novel is dedicated to her understanding of identity and forgiveness. What this leads to at the novel's resolution is Starr understanding why Khalil made the decision to sell drugs, and realizes how generation and systemic poverty has affected her and her ancestors, and what that means for future generations.

]]> 2023-04-27 15:48:42 UTC https://padlet.com/kevcox/scionsofmagic/wish/2570595709 Interview with NPR kevcox https://padlet.com/kevcox/scionsofmagic/wish/2570599626 In this interview, George M. Johnson details their inspirations from Morrison, along with explicitly stating many of the themes of their book, like the idea of the mask and code-switching. ]]> 2023-04-27 15:51:38 UTC https://padlet.com/kevcox/scionsofmagic/wish/2570599626 kevcox https://padlet.com/kevcox/scionsofmagic/wish/2570603290 George M. Johnson is an activist, journalist, and author of potent "memoir-manifesto" All Boys Aren't Blue. 

While All Boys Aren't Blue isn't a novel like our other two books, it still does the important work of exploring Black identity and how it functions within ancestry and community.]]> 2023-04-27 15:54:21 UTC https://padlet.com/kevcox/scionsofmagic/wish/2570603290 "If there's a book you want to read, but it hasn't been written yet, then you must write it." kevcox https://padlet.com/kevcox/scionsofmagic/wish/2570609840 George M. Johnson has this tweet tattooed on their arm. Unfortunately, we were unable to get the actual tattoo for display in this exhibit, as George M. Johnson is very busy doing George M. Johnson things, like writing We Are Not Broken. 

https://iamgmjohnson.com/]]> 2023-04-27 15:59:11 UTC https://padlet.com/kevcox/scionsofmagic/wish/2570609840 All Boys Aren't Blue kevcox https://padlet.com/kevcox/scionsofmagic/wish/2570610972 *Note* This exhibit will use the pronouns Johnson uses in All Boys Aren't Blue, he/him. Since it's publication, Johnson uses the pronouns they/them. The curator of this exhibit respects and adheres to their chosen pronouns, but because this exhibit is referencing the text directly, it will interacting with the work as if Johnson is a character within it, therefore the pronouns he/him will be maintained as they are pulled from the work.

George M. Johnson's novel/memoir/manifesto is a complicated addition to the exhibit because it is not a work of fiction. However, it does meet criteria that updates Morrison's importance of ancestry in a way that brings it to a hurting young generation struggling with their identity beyond Blackness. While Milkman's journey is less reflected here, let's look at some of what Johnson has communicated to us.

All Boys Aren't Blue's first section details Johnson's life up to high school. This section highlights the way aspirations of living up to our immediate and distant ancestors (play sports, be manly, repress your emotions) can be crushing or confusing. It takes the idea of ancestry and doesn't exactly glorify it, instead, it mourns it in a muted way. Johnson's ancestors weren't free to express themselves in ways Johnson yearns to do. That oppression now informs the identity of generations of young Black men. 

The second sections deals directly with family, and details Johnson's surviving ancestry and his relationships with them. This is important when thinking about ancestry because it never hurts to have the reminder that ancestry is not limited to lineage, nor dead men. 
 
The third and fourth section deal with ancestry once again through the lens of community, but not just with Johnson's finding his place as a Black man, but also as queer-identifying. Like The Hate U Give and Children of Blood and Bone, this section deals with the death of peers and how those peers inform our ancestry and legacy as we continue our lives. ]]> 2023-04-27 16:00:04 UTC https://padlet.com/kevcox/scionsofmagic/wish/2570610972 Works Cited kevcox https://padlet.com/kevcox/scionsofmagic/wish/2576156893 Adeyemi, Tomi. Children of Blood and Bone. Henry Holt and Company, 2018.

Colyard, K.W. “What Toni Morrison Meant to Black Women Writers, in Their Own Words.” Bustle, Bustle, 14 Aug. 2019, https://www.bustle.com/p/what-toni-morrison-meant-to-black-women-writers-in-their-own-words-18551986.

Fitzsimmons, Emma G. “12-Year-Old Boy Dies after Police in Cleveland Shoot Him.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 23 Nov. 2014, https://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/24/us/boy-12-dies-after-being-shot-by-cleveland-police-officer.html.

Philyaw, Deesha. “Visible: Women Writers of Color: Angie Thomas.” The Rumpus.net, 2017, https://therumpus.net/2017/04/19/visible-women-writers-of-color-angie-thomas/.

Johnson, George M. All Boys Aren't Blue. Penguin Books, 2021.

Mayer, Petra. “'Give Them the Damn Information': Questions for George M. Johnson.” NPR, NPR, 2 May 2020, https://www.npr.org/2020/05/02/848764750/give-them-the-damn-information-questions-for-george-m-johnson.

Mckinley, Jesse. “In California, Protests after Man Dies at Hands of Transit Police.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 8 Jan. 2009, https://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/09/us/09oakland.html. 

Morrison, Toni, and Carolyn C. Denard. What Moves at the Margin: Selected Nonfiction. University Press of Mississippi, 2008. 

Morrison, Toni. Song of Solomon. Vintage International, 2004. 

Sonja, Cole. “Debut Author and Industry Darling Tomi Adeyemi on How Much Representation Matters, the Magical Powers of Fantasy, and Why Angie Thomas Is Everything.” Audible Blog, 2018, https://www.audible.com/blog/tomi-adeyemi-interview-children-of-blood-and-bone-representation-fantasy-angie-thomas.

Thomas, Angie. The Hate U Give. Edulit, 2022. 
]]> 2023-05-03 03:57:51 UTC https://padlet.com/kevcox/scionsofmagic/wish/2576156893