Fans Honor Iconic Writers Audre Lorde and Toni Morrison on Their Shared Birthdays

Many are honoring legendary writers Audre Lorde and Toni Morrison on what would’ve been their 87th and 90th birthdays.

February 18 marks the day that both Lorde and Morrison were born. It’s ironic that these two prominent Black female writers share a birthday and that both would go on to make such a large impact on the world through their work.

It’s also ironic that two of the greatest Black writers were born during Black History Month, and fans of both continue to celebrate them and share how Lorde and Morrison’s words influenced their lives, especially as Black women. They were able to encapture the Black female experience so well in a way that resonated with many.

February 18th should be a national holiday. Happy birthday to Toni Morrison & Audre Lorde pic.twitter.com/GIdYzlrmbX

— space cowgirl (@sorrynotsarika) February 18, 2021

Not only was she known for her way with words, but Lorde was also an activist that actively spoke up about her struggles as a Black lesbian. She took her passions and put them into essays and poems, with some of her most famous works being Sister Outsider, The Collected Poems of Audre Lorde and Zami: A New Spelling of My Name – A Biomythography.

If I had it my way, Audre Lorde and Toni Morrison would have been US presidents. Happy birthday to both of them today. #PresidentsDay

— Aura Bogado (@aurabogado) February 18, 2013

In light of Black History Month, Google honored Lorde in one of its infamous Google Doodles with a series of visual works drawn by Black illustrator Monica Ahanonu. The artwork wouldn’t have been complete without a powerful quote from Lorde herself.

Blow away by the fact that Toni Morrison and Audre Lorde were both born on this day. How blessed are we to have had them on this earth? Infinitely.

— Papita Criolla (@laaauriskii) February 19, 2021

Morrison, who just passed away in 2019, also touched many through her writings on the Black experience. Some of her most famous novels include Beloved, The Bluest Eye and Song of Solomon, which earned her the National Book Critics Circle Award in 1988. She then went on to receive the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1993.

Two Aquariuses, two respectable writers in their own right.
Unflinchingly honest in the face of oppression, but also so reverent with the lives and portrayals of Black peoples.
They are Black history.

Happy birthday to Toni Morrison and Audre Lorde. pic.twitter.com/br0suX0bU1

— Rational Anger Podcast (@Rational_Anger) February 18, 2021

Fans of Lorde and Morrison’s works are remembering the writers on their birthdays and they’ve taken to social media to express how their words and courage have allowed them to live in their truths and speak up for what they believe in. Some even credit both women for helping them establish a love for writing and they continue to share their works with others, especially the younger generations.

Be sure to check out Google’s tribute to Lorde and continue reading both her and Morrison’s important and powerful writings to keep their memories alive.