Keywords: Toni Morrison, slavery, Sullivan's Island, Nobel laureate, Toni Morrison Society, Bench by the Road, Black history, Black authors, Pulitzer Prize, American history

Nobel laureate Toni Morrison, along with about 300 people, dedicated the first entry in the "Bench by the Road" project on Sullivan's Island, "the entry point for about 40 percent of millions of Africans who were enslaved in this country," reports The New York Times. The initiative, headed by The Toni Morrison Society, wants to place benches at 10 historic sites that are significant to the history of Blacks in America. "It's never too late to honor the dead," Morrison said. "It's never too late to applaud the living who do them honor. This is extremely moving to me." Morrison chose benches because they were unpretentious, simple and accessible. "The bench is welcoming, open," she said. "You can be illiterate and sit on the bench. You can be a wanderer or you can be on a search."

Click here to read the full story in The New York Times.