“My grandfather bragged all the time that he had read the Bible, and it was illegal in his life to read. Ultimately, I knew that words had power,” says Toni Morrison in a new trailer for “Toni Morrison: The Pieces I Am.” The documentary explores how the Nobel Prize winner harnessed that power and redefined the canon.

Kicking off with her childhood in the steel town of Lorain, Ohio, the Sundance doc examines “race, America, history, and the human condition as seen through the prism of [Morrison’s] work,” according to its official synopsis.

The spot sees the “Song of Solomon” author embracing being labeled as a “black writer,” and revisiting what it was like “navigating a white male world” as an editor at Random House. We also hear from her peers, critics, and colleagues, including Oprah Winfrey, who starred in a film adaptation of “Beloved.” “I wanted as many people who could hear my voice to understand the importance of her work,” the mogul emphasizes.

“Toni Morrison: The Pieces I Am” opens June 21.