1988 and Toni Morrison
Author Toni Morrison’s popularity grew in the 1980s and eventually she won a Pulitzer Prize in 1988, for her novel Beloved. Some other titles you might recognize include: The Bluest Eye; Sula; Song of Solomon; Tar Baby; and Jazz.
From Wikipedia:
Toni Morrison (born February 18, 1931) is one of the most prominent authors in world literature, having won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1993 for her collected works. Several of her novels have taken their place in the canon of American literature, including The Bluest Eye, Beloved (winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction), and Song of Solomon. Morrison’s writings are notable for their epic themes, vivid dialogue, and richly detailed African American characters. In recent years, Morrison has published a number of children’s books with her son, Slade Morrison.