01of 10
Jimi Hendrix
USPS
In 2014, the rock legend scored his own supercool stamp, part of the USPS' Music Icons series and timed to the SXSW festival in Austin.
“While my brother has been cited many times as being among the most influential musicians of all time, the recognition implicit in his being portrayed on a U.S. postage stamp ranks as an unparalleled honor,” his sister Janie said at the time.
02of 10Rosa ParksUSPSDuring the NAACP Image Awards in February 2013, civil rights activistParks' stampwas unveiled. It went on sale on what would’ve been her 100th birthday, Feb. 4.Parks' stamp was part of the USPS' 2013 civil rights set, which included an ode to the Emancipation Proclamation, and another stamp recognizing the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington.
02of 10
Rosa Parks
During the NAACP Image Awards in February 2013, civil rights activistParks' stampwas unveiled. It went on sale on what would’ve been her 100th birthday, Feb. 4.
Parks' stamp was part of the USPS' 2013 civil rights set, which included an ode to the Emancipation Proclamation, and another stamp recognizing the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington.
03of 10
Ray Charles
Charles wasthe third personto be honored in the USPS' Music Icons series in 2013, and even had a deluxe CD collection released at various post offices along with his stamp.
04of 10Dorothy HeightUSPSThe USPS marked Black History Month 2017 witha stamp for Height, one of the 20th Century’s most influential voices in the fight for both civil and women’s rights.The Richmond native — who served on President John F. Kennedy’s Commission on the Status of Women — received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Bill Clinton, and the Congressional Gold Medal from President George W. Bush.Congressman John Lewis was among the luminaries on hand to dedicate her stamp when it was unveiled at Howard University.
04of 10
Dorothy Height
The USPS marked Black History Month 2017 witha stamp for Height, one of the 20th Century’s most influential voices in the fight for both civil and women’s rights.
The Richmond native — who served on President John F. Kennedy’s Commission on the Status of Women — received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Bill Clinton, and the Congressional Gold Medal from President George W. Bush.
Congressman John Lewis was among the luminaries on hand to dedicate her stamp when it was unveiled at Howard University.
05of 10
Miles Davis
Jazz icon Davis' 2012 stamp was released at the same time as one honoring French singer Edith Piaf,marking a collaborationwith the French postal service, La Poste. Unlike many stamps celebrating individuals, these featured the musicians' full bodies, not just their faces.
06of 10
Ella Fitzgerald
The 30th stamp in the USPS' Black Heritage series featured the “first lady of song,” Grammy winner Fitzgerald, and was issuedin January 2007.
07of 10
Althea Gibson
Billie Jean King was among the tennis stars who celebrated Gibson’s stamp when it was dedicated in 2013.
“Her achievements served as a catalyst for equality in sports and in life and I am honored to participate in this historic event,“King said at the time.
Gibson was the first Black tennis player to win a Grand Slam tournament, and at one point was the No. 1 player in the world.
08of 10
Barbara Jordan
Thegroundbreaking Texas politicianwas the 34th honoree in the USPS' Black Heritage stamp series, in 2011.
Jordan was the first Black woman elected to the Texas legislature, and first Black woman from the south elected to Congress. She again made history in 1976 when she gave a keynote address at the Democratic National Convention, making her the first woman to do so.
09of 10
August Wilson
Playwright Wilson’s stampcame out in January 2021, weeks after his the critically acclaimed film version of his playMa Rainey’s Black Bottomwas released on Netflix.
10of 10Gwen IfillUSPSIfill — the first Black female journalist to moderate a vice-presidential debate —scored a stamp in honor of Black History Month in 2020.“The Ifill family is thrilled that our sister, cousin and aunt has received this signal tribute to her legacy as a truth-teller, pioneer and exemplar,” said her brother Bert Ifill. “As a reporter and moderator, Gwen was dedicated to two principles: getting the story right and getting the right stories out. As a mentor, supportive friend and family member, she was determined, not only to open doors for those of us previously locked out of opportunity, but also to provide floor plans to help us find our way through. She is forever in our hearts, and we are forever in her debt.“Her stamp dedication ceremony was held at her church, the Metropolitan African Methodist Episcopal Church in Washington, D.C.
10of 10
Gwen Ifill
Ifill — the first Black female journalist to moderate a vice-presidential debate —scored a stamp in honor of Black History Month in 2020.
“The Ifill family is thrilled that our sister, cousin and aunt has received this signal tribute to her legacy as a truth-teller, pioneer and exemplar,” said her brother Bert Ifill. “As a reporter and moderator, Gwen was dedicated to two principles: getting the story right and getting the right stories out. As a mentor, supportive friend and family member, she was determined, not only to open doors for those of us previously locked out of opportunity, but also to provide floor plans to help us find our way through. She is forever in our hearts, and we are forever in her debt.”
Her stamp dedication ceremony was held at her church, the Metropolitan African Methodist Episcopal Church in Washington, D.C.
source: people.com
