U.S. Postal Service Issues Stamp Honoring James Baldwin

By Charanna Alexander, Special to BET.com

July 27, 2004 -- The U.S. Postal Service has issued a stamp in honor of the controversial African American author and playwright James Baldwin.

In dedicating the new commemorative postage stamp, as part of its new literary series, Henry Pankey, a vice president with the U.S. Postal Service, said Friday that the Baldwin wrote with “great honesty and passion.�

A Harlem native, Baldwin was one of the most outspoken artists of his generation, writing primarily about race. In 1944, Baldwin met famed writer Richard Wright and began writing his first novel, “In My Father’s House.� Almost a decade later, Baldwin would complete the autobiographical “Go Tell It On The Mountain,� widely considered his most significant novel. In 1955, Baldwin wrote “The Amen Corner� and won a Guggenheim Fellowship.

“His writings are a demonstration of his love for all of us,� Panky said. “You can almost feel his need to explore the hard truths of our society.�

Among those attending the dedication service at the Schomburg Center in New York City were poets Maya Angelou and Amiri Baraka and actors Ossie Davis, Ruby Dee and Avery Brooks, who served as the master of ceremonies.

Thomas Blackshear II, the stamp’s artist,, based his portrait on a black-and-white photograph of Baldwin taken in 1960, and used a background reminiscent of Baldwin’s “Go tell it on the mountain,� which was set in Harlem.

Baldwin died at his home in St. Paul de Vence, France

Well could you imagine the QE II's head taking a back seat for Bernie Grant, for example or Stephen Lawrence in black history month? UK is so tight assed HRH Postal Service probably wouldn't dream of it. But if we could, who would be on your postage stamp and why?

Chris Rock! HE CAN ROCK MY WORLD!

Hitler.

Question: What is unique about British stamps - and why? And it's not that no one living (apart from HRH) can feature on them.
A clue is that it's something that the rest of the world has to do and we don't.

Morris wrote:
@Morris, sorry but I wasn't sure how your answer answered your question. What is is that the rest of the world has to do and we don't?

Michael Jackson.

Id have a moving stamp with david elsewhere

hmmm.... I'd put me on it

athaba wrote:
banana.gif That made me laugh and genuinely asking now, why would ya do that? Do you like the thought of people licking your face banana.gif

N*E*R*D wrote:
I like that idea, maybe kaleidoscopes would look good too. Who is David?

Femergy wrote: LOL! No!Its because I'm worth it!

And the answer is:

Every other nation's stamps have the name of their country on them. Britain doesn't because Britain invented them.

Makes you proud to be British, doesn't it.

Nope