Oberlin Monuments and Landmarks: Toni Morrison’s “Bench by the Road”
Location: Northeast corner of Main and Lorain
Toni Morrison at the Bench by the Road placement in Oberlin, 2009.
(Courtesy of the Toni Morrison Foundation)
Built: 2009
Dedicated: April 23, 2009
Oberlin’s Bench by the Road recognizes the community’s history and connections with the Underground Railroad. Throughout the city’s history, Oberlin’s residents have strongly opposed slavery. By 1852, Oberlin was a frequented stop on the Underground Railroad and thousands had already passed through on their way to freedom. The town provided refuge for those embarking on the route to Canada. Since Canada had already abolished slavery, it was where freedom seekers could eventually find safety from the United States’ fugitive slave laws. Oberlin’s strong abolitionist values and proximity to Lake Erie quickly made the town an essential stop for those escaping enslavement. An overview of this important history is outlined on the historical marker near the Bench by the Road memorial, located on the northeast corner of Oberlin’s Main and Lorain streets.
Toni Morrison
Toni Morrison as a young woman from a Lorain High School yearbook.
(Courtesy of Ohio History Connection)
Born in Lorain, Ohio in 1931, Toni Morrison grew up in the area surrounding Oberlin. Until the age of twelve, Morrison was known as Chloe Wofford. Baptized under the name Anthony—after Saint Anthony of Padua—she later adopted the nickname “Toni.” Although Lorain was a semi-integrated community, Toni and her family frequently faced racial discrimination. Despite this challenge, she focused on her studies, was an avid reader, was active on her school’s yearbook staff and debate team and also a secretary for the head librarian at Lorain Public Library.
Morrison began her studies in English at Howard University, a historically black college, in 1949. While there, she made connections with other writers, activists, and artists who influenced her work. After finishing her degree, Morrison worked for editing and publishing companies, and at age 39, she published her first novel: The Bluest Eye.
After writing two more successful novels, she left the publishing profession and became a full-time writer. Beloved was released in 1987, 17 years after her first published novels, and it quickly became a 25-week bestseller and won many notable awards. Toni Morrison’s work focused on African American life, served as commentary on race relations, and has continued to influence writers and artists today.
The Toni Morrison Society
The Toni Morrison Society was founded on May 28, 1993, during the annual meeting of the American Literature Association (ALA) in Baltimore, Maryland. The Society was officially established as a member of the ALA by George University professor Carolyn Denard, as well as 26 other scholars and supporters of Morrison’s work. The Toni Morrison Society was the 41st society dedicated to an author and the fourth to be specifically dedicated to an African American
Ohio Historical Marker outside the Lorain Historical Society.
(Courtesy of The Morning Journal)
author. In October of 1993, just five months after the Society’s formation, Toni Morrison won the Nobel Prize for Literature resulting in its growth from a small body to an international literary society.
In 2012, the Toni Morrison Society relocated to Oberlin College’s Mary Church Terrell Library housed in Mudd Center. The Society then launched their Toni Morrison Society Lecture Series at Oberlin, as they aimed to engage the College’s community with educational and community outreach programs.
The Bench by the Road Project
The Bench by the Road is a memorial and community outreach project initiated by the Toni Morrison Society. This project gets its name from remarks Morrison made during an interview with World Magazine in 1989. In this interview, she disappointedly notes the absence of historical markers remembering the lives of enslaved Africans, stating: “There’s no 300-foot tower, there’s no small bench by the road.” The goal of the project is to address the lament Toni Morrison expressed towards the lack of remembrance sites by placing benches and plaques highlighting significant moments, individuals, and locations that honor the African Diaspora. The goals of the Bench by the Road project reflect the values and overall mission of the Toni Morrison Society: to remember slavery and forgotten moments in African American history. In the past 16 years, the Society has placed 25 Benches in different sites across the world.
Oberlin’s Bench by the Road
Oberlin’s Bench by the Road is a steel black memorial bench measuring 26 inches wide and 6 feet long. A 6×9 inch naming plate is mounted in the center of the bench, containing the name of the site, the organization sponsoring it, and the date of placement. The memorial also contains a 12×18 inch bronze description plate mounted on a small boulder near the bench. The plate includes a short description of the aim of the Project, and a detailed statement describing the significance of the Bench.
The “Bench by the Road” in Oberlin.
(Courtesy of The Toni Morrison Society)
Plaque installed with the bench in Oberlin.
(Courtesy of Oberlin College)
Naming plate on the bench.
(Courtesy of The Toni Morrison Society)
Bibliography
Alexander, Kerri Lee. “Toni Morrison.” National Women’s History Museum, 2019. https://www.womenshistory.org/education-resources/biographies/toni-morrison.
“History of Oberlin.” City of Oberlin. Accessed September 17, 2022. https://www.cityofoberlin.com/for-visitors/history-of-oberlin/.
Long, Karen R. “Author Toni Morrison Helps Unveil Bench at Oberlin College Recognizing Underground Railroad.” Cleveland.com. The Plain Dealer, April 24, 2009. https://www.cleveland.com/metro/2009/04/author_toni_morrison_helps_unv.html.
Reynolds, Dylan. “New Historical Marker Honors Toni Morrison in Lorain.” Chronicle Telegram, August 13, 2021. https://chroniclet.com/news/271287/new-historical-marker-honors-toni-morrison-in-/.
“Society History.” The Official Website of The Toni Morrison Society | Society History. The Toni Morrison Society. Accessed September 17, 2022. https://www.tonimorrisonsociety.org/society.html.
“Underground Railroad in Ohio.” Touring Ohio. Ohio City Productions. Accessed September 17, 2022. http://touringohio.com/history/ohio-underground-railroad.html#:~:text=Oberlin%20was%20a%20key%20junction,that%20Started%20the%20Civil%20War.%22.
Written Summer 2022 by Junior Intern, Violet Haas, Wellington High School
Edited by Ellie Lane and Lucy Freeman, Oberlin College
Oberlin Heritage Center, 73 ½ S. Professor St., Oberlin, OH 4404
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