Since 1978, with the introduction of the Harriet Tubman stamp, the USPS has been honoring African Americans who have made vital contributions to the United States. The latest in the series is pioneering filmmaker Oscar Micheaux, who wrote, directed, produced, and distributed more than 40 movies during the first half of the 20th century. He thrived at a time when African-American filmmakers were rare, venues for their work were scarce, and support from the industry did not exist. The artwork is based on one of the few surviving photographs of Micheaux, a portrait that appeared in his 1913 novel, "The Conquest." BlackEnterprise.com takes a look at other African Americans who were imortalized on stamps. (Date issued: June 22, 2010)BlackEnterprise.com wants to know: Who do you think should be on the next Black Heritage stamp?The Black Heritage series has been one of the USPS's most popular ever created. When an early-2000 Internet rumor spread that the series was going to be canceled, the postal service was inundated with hundreds of protesting letters, postcards, and phone calls. Despite an official press release denying the rumor, it resurfaces every year.
Perhaps the best known conductor of the Underground Railroad, Harriet Tubman was an abolitionist, humanitarian, and Union spy during the Civil War. (Date issued: Feb. 1, 1978)
The second stamp in the 33-stamp series was of Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., who is often remembered for his “I Have a Dream” speech, delivered at the 1963 March on Washington. He was assassinated in 1968. (Date issued: Jan. 13, 1979)
Benjamin Banneker was an accomplished astronomer, mathematician, surveyor, almanac author, and farmer. From 1792 to 1797, Banneker published his astronomical calculations in almanacs. (Date issued: Feb. 15, 1980)
Whitney Moore Young Jr., was a civil rights leader who worked to end employment discrimination. In 1961, Young became the director of the National Urban League, and in 1969, President Johnson awarded him the Presidential Medal of Freedom. (Date issued: Jan. 30, 1981)
Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier in Major League Baseball in 1947, when he joined the Brooklyn Dodgers. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1962. (Date issued: Aug. 2, 1982)
The “King of Ragtime,” Scott Joplin was a composer and pianist famous for his unique compositions. His pieces include the "Maple Leaf Rag" and The Entertainer. (Date issued: June 9, 1983)
Born in 1875 to ex-slaves, Carter G. Woodson overcame economic and social barriers to become a leading black history scholar. He earned a doctorate from Harvard University and founded the "Journal of Negro History," serving as its editor for 35 years. (Date issued: Feb. 1, 1984)
Educator, author, and civil rights leader Mary McLeod Bethune founded a school for black students (now Bethune-Cookman College) and served as an adviser to multiple presidents including Franklin D. Roosevelt. (Date issued: March 5, 1985)
Born into slavery at the end of the 18th century, Sojourner Truth was an abolitionist, women’s rights activist, and preacher. (Date issued: Feb. 4, 1986)
Jean Baptiste Pointe Du Sable was a colonist of mixed French and Haitian ancestry. Du Sable was the first nonindigenous settler in what is now Chicago, Illinois. (Date issued: Feb. 20, 1987)
James Weldon Johnson was an author, lyricist, lawyer, diplomat, educator, and civil rights worker. He and his brother composed "Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing" for Abraham Lincoln’s birthday celebration in 1900. (Date issued: Feb. 2, 1988)
