On what would have been the 100th birthday of Rosa Parks, the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) is honoring this extraordinary woman and civil rights icon with a Forever stamp. The stamp was officially unveiled on Monday February 4 as part of the National Day of Courage ceremonies at the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History in Dearborn, MI.
The stamp honoring Rosa Parks is being issued as a Forever Stamp, which are always equal in value to the current First-Class Mail one-ounce price. Art director Derry Noyes and stamp artist Thomas Blackshear II, who created his portrait in gouache on illustration board, emphasize Parks’ quiet determination and her pleasant persona in the stamp art.
The USPS is celebrating the Best of America with several limited-edition stamps in 2013, including the Civil Rights Series which recognizes the courage of Rosa Parks; freedom embodied in the Emancipation Proclamation; and equality marked by the March on Washington. This iconic series encourages consumers and stamp collectors to celebrate these guiding principles of the Civil Rights movement.
According to USPS Deputy Postmaster General Ronald A. Stroman, this is the first time Rosa Parks’ image will appear on a commemorative stamp.
On Dec. 1, 1955, Rosa Parks was arrested in Montgomery, AL, for refusing to give up her seat on a municipal bus to a white man. Her arrest not only sparked a boycott of the Montgomery bus system that lasted longer than a year, it served to ignite a movement that was ultimately successful in inspiring others to similar courageous acts to challenge racial segregation.
Many honors were awarded to Parks in her lifetime, including the Spingarn Medal, the highest award of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) in 1979 and dozens of honorary degrees. She was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal in 1999.
Find more information about the new stamp at www.usps.com/stamps, www.facebook.com/uspsstamps or http://beyondtheperf.com/.
