Cornell University is hosting a yearlong celebration of Toni Morrison M.A.on the 50th anniversary of The Bluest Eye. Tayari Jones, A.D. White Professor at Large, will serve a panelist for a Feb. 18, 2021, roundtable discussion on Morrison’s creative and scholarly work.

The celebration was kicked off in October 2020 with a community-wide marathon reading of the novel, in which Jones was a participant. Events will continue into the spring and include a reading of Lydia Diamond’s play based on The Bluest Eye, community events, reading groups and displays of Morrison’s work and its global impact. In addition, Cornell is offering a new course focused on the novel.