Nyack To Honor Toni Morrison At Bench Memorial Today

NYACK, NY — The life and legacy of Nobel laureate Toni Morrison, a longtime Grandview-on-Hudson resident, will be celebrated today at 5:30 pm at the Bench by the Road memorial in Nyack's Memorial Park just off Piermont Avenue.

Morrison, who died on Monday, personally dedicated the bench memorial in Nyack. The first 'Bench by the Road' in the New York metro area, it is one of several erected by the Toni Morrison Society in cities around the country.

Community leaders and local residents will gather to share readings from Morrison's work, and reflect on the powerful messages her art has conveyed to audiences around the world, said Nancy Philips, vice-president of the Nyack Chamber of Commerce.

Meanwhile, Rockland County Executive Ed Day ordered all county flags to be lowered to half-staff on Wednesday out of respect for the long-time Rockland resident.

“Rockland County mourns the loss of this wonderfully talented soul,” said Day. “Having called Grandview-on-Hudson home for many years, she made her impact known locally and across the country through her ‘Bench by the Road’ monument project commemorating the lives of slaves. Her contributions to our community and to our country will not soon be forgotten.”

On May 18, 2015, the bench was placed in Nyack’s Memorial Park in honor of Cynthia Hesdra, a former slave who eventually became a conductor on the Underground Railroad. Hesdra was also a successful entrepreneur, landowner, and business woman who owned properties and laundry establishments in both New York City and in Nyack.

SEE: Toni Morrison Dedicates Memorial Tomorrow to Nyack Underground RR Conductor

In the event of rain, the gathering in her memory will be held at 6 p.m. at the Nyack Center, a block west of Memorial Park at Depew and South Broadway.

More information about Toni Morrison and the Bench by the Road project is available here. Please call Bill Batson for more details at 845.675.3160. Bench image and essay are by artist Bill Batson.