The U.S. Postal Service has named legendary singer, actress and activist Lena Horne the 2018 Black Heritage stamp series honoree.
A first-day-of-issue ceremony was held last Tuesday in New York to unveil the Lena Horne Forever stamp with Horne's daughter, Gail Lumet Buckley, present. During the unveiling, Deputy Postmaster General Ronald Stroman said, “Today, we honor the 70-year career of a true American legend. With this Forever stamp, the Postal Service celebrates a woman who used her platform as a renowned entertainer to become a prolific voice for civil rights advancement and gender equality,” a Postal Service blog reports.
During this week's stamp dedication, Lena Horne was honored both as a trailblazer in Hollywood and an important civil rights activist. #LenaHorneForever
#BlackHeritageStamps
https://t.co/9BnPhW2gPH
pic.twitter.com/pDvlyRcKQQ— U.S. Postal Service (@USPS) February 1, 2018
The Lena Horne Forever stamp was designed by art director Ethel Kessler and features a photo of Horne taken by photographer Christian Steiner more than 30 years ago.
The #LenaHorneForever stamp, honoring the legendary performer and civil rights activist, officially joins our #BlackHeritageStamps series. Order yours today! https://t.co/LvkQexSJZm
pic.twitter.com/0dWv9MFuIX— U.S. Postal Service (@USPS) January 30, 2018
Horne died in 2010 at age 92. She became the first African-American woman to be nominated for a Tony Award for "Best Actress in a Musical" in 1958 and the first black person to sign a long-term contract with a major Hollywood studio. The Grammy winner fought against stereotypical roles given to black performers by refusing maid roles and used her influence to support the advancement of civil rights by performing at rallies in the South in the 1960s and walking in the March on Washington, among her other contributions.
