Rep. John Lewis to be honored with postage stamp in 2023

The U.S. Postal Service has announced that the late congressman and civil rights icon John Lewis will be honored with a postage stamp in 2023.

This stamp celebrates the life and legacy of civil rights leader and U.S. Rep. John Lewis (1940-2020) of Georgia. Devoted to equality and justice for all Americans, Lewis spent more than 30 years in Congress steadfastly defending and building on key civil rights gains that he had helped achieve in the 1960s. Even in the face of hatred and violence, as well as some 45 arrests, Lewis remained resolute in his commitment to what he liked to call “good trouble.” The stamp features a photograph of Lewis taken by Marco Grob on assignment for the Aug. 26, 2013, issue of Time magazine. The selvage showcases a photograph of Lewis taken by Steve Schapiro in 1963 outside a workshop about nonviolent protest in Clarksdale, MS. Derry Noyes served as art director for this project.

Marvin Gaye, Gregory Hines honored with 2019 USPS stamps

CHECK OUT THE 2021 BLACK HERITAGE STAMP HONORING AUGUST WILSON HERE: https://www.africanamericanreports.com/2021/07/2021-black-heritage-stamps-honor-august.html

Entertainment icons Marvin Gaye and Gregory Hines will soon be honored with Forever stamps, the United States Postal Service (USPS) announced this week.

The late legends will be featured among new commemorative stamps issued in 2019, continuing a USPS tradition started in 1847 of celebrating people, events, and cultural milestones that are unique to U.S. history. Exact release dates for the stamps have yet to be announced.

“The miniature works of art illustrated in the 2019 stamp program offer something for everyone’s interest about American history and culture,” said U.S. Postal Service Stamp Services Executive Director Mary-Anne Penner.

“From legendary poet Walt Whitman to the entertainment genius of Gregory Hines to the majestic beauty of our Wild and Scenic Rivers, this program is diverse and wide-ranging and tells America’s story on stamps.”

The 42nd stamp in the Black Heritage series honors Hines (1946–2003), whose unique style of tap dancing injected new artistry and excitement into a traditional American form.

A versatile performer who danced, acted and sang on Broadway, on television, and in movies like Tap, Waiting to Exhale and White Knights, Hines developed the entertainment traditions of tap into an art form for a younger generation. He is credited with renewing interest in tap during the 1990s. Art director Derry Noyes designed the stamp, which features a 1988 photograph by Jack Mitchell.

Gaye’s stamp is featured in the Music Icons series. The R&B crooner — best known for songs “What’s Going On,” “Let’s Get It On,” “Sexual Healing” and a slew of early Motown songs like “Heard It Through the Grapevine” — is one of the most influential singers of his generation. The stamp design features a portrait of Gaye inspired by historic photographs.

The stamp pane is designed to resemble a vintage 45 rpm record sleeve. One side of the pane includes the stamps, brief text about Gaye’s legacy, and the image of a sliver of a record seeming to peek out the top of the sleeve. Another portrait of Gaye, also inspired by historic photographs, appears on the reverse along with the Music Icons series logo. Art director Derry Noyes designed the stamp pane with original art by Kadir Nelson.

Customers may purchase stamps through the Postal Store at usps.com/shop, by calling 800-STAMP24 (800-782-6724), by mail through USA Philatelic, or at a local post office.

Postal Service Saluting Black History Month With Lena Horne Stamp

The USPS has issued the 41st stamp in the Black Heritage series honoring the achievements of legendary performer and civil rights activist Lena Horne (1917–2010). The stamp art features a photograph taken by Christian Steiner in the 1980s. Kristen Monthei colorized the black-and-white photograph. Remembered as one of America‘s great interpreters of popular songs, Horne was also a trailblazer in Hollywood for women of color. She used her personal elegance, charisma, and fame to become an important spokesperson for civil rights.

The stamp art features a photograph of Lena Horne taken by Christian Steiner in the 1980s. Kristen Monthei colorized the original black-and-white photo, adding a background reminiscent of Horne’s Stormy Weather album, with a few clouds to add texture and subtly make the album reference. “Lena Horne” is written along the bottom of the stamp, with “Black Heritage,” the stamp series title, at the top. “USA” and “Forever” appear on the lower right-hand side above Horne’s name. Art director Ethel Kessler designed the stamp.

Order the stamp here: USPS: The Lena Horne Stamp

The National Museum Of African American History And Culture Is Getting Its Own Stamp

The National Museum of African American History and Culture will finally make its stamp debut next month after its issuance date was initially postponed by the US Postal Services.

The “Celebrating African American History and Culture Forever stamp” recognizes the richness of black history and its intrinsic connection to American history. It is also part of the US Postal Services Forever series and will go on sale Oct. 13 after a dedication ceremony at the actual museum.

“Black history is inseparable from American history, and the black experience represents a profound and unique strand of the American story,” USPS said. “This stamp issuance recognizes the richness of that experience by celebrating the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, DC.”

[SOURCE: ESSENCE]

Stamp to be released in honor of opening of National Museum of African American History and Culture

The United States Postal Service has revealed designs for several U.S. stamps that will be issued in 2017. One of those stamps will commemorate the opening of the National Museum of African American History and Culture.

Celebrations for the opening of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture were underway as news of this planned forever stamp was revealed. The museum, on the National Mall, opened to the public with a dedication ceremony on the morning of Sept. 24

Established by an Act of Congress in 2003, the museum is described as the only national museum devoted exclusively to the documentation of African-American life, history, and culture.

“The National Museum of African American History and Culture will be a place where all Americans can learn about the richness and diversity of the African American experience, what it means to their lives and how it helped us shape this nation,” the museum notes.

The stamp is based on a photograph of the museum by Alan Karchmer showing a view of the northwest corner of the building. USPS art director Antonio Alcala designed the stamp.

South Africa Post Office releases commemorative Nelson Mandela stamp.

South Africa’s postal service has issued a commemorative stamp with a portrait of Nelson Mandela on the 24th anniversary of his release from prison during white minority rule.

The postal service said Tuesday that it printed five million copies of the silver stamp, which costs about $4.50 and comes in a folder with information about Mandela, the anti-apartheid leader who became South Africa’s first black president in 1994.

The stamp is available at all 1,591 post offices in South Africa and that stamp collectors around the world can buy it online.

The stamp is available online here: https://www.virtualpostoffice.co.za/vpo/General/html/index1.html