High-resolution images of the stamps are available for media use only by emailing dlewin@usps.gov.
What:
Second Day Stamp dedication ceremony in honor of movie making legend Oscar Micheaux, 33rd honoree in the United States Postal Service’s distinguished Black Heritage stamp series. Six sponsoring agencies will join together to pay tribute to a visionary filmmaker whose accomplishments command more than one celebration. The event is free and open to the public. Photo ID is required to gain entry.
When:
12:00 p.m., Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Where:
Adam Clayton Powell, Jr. State Office Building
The Art Gallery Second Floor
163 West 125th Street ( At 7th Avenue)
New York, New York 10027-4436
Who:
Ruby Dee, Film, Television and Stage Actress
Pearl Bowser, Filmmaker and Director
Raschelle Parker, Manager Customer Relations New York District, USPS
Invited guests include: Local government officials and members of the entertainment industry
Background:
Filmmaking pioneer, Oscar Micheaux, (1884-1951) wrote, directed, produced, and distributed more than 40 movies during the first half of the 20th century. An ambitious, larger-than-life figure, Micheaux thrived at a time when African-American filmmakers were rare, venues for their work were scarce, and support from the industry did not exist. Micheaux’ entrepreneurial spirit and independent vision continue to inspire new generations of filmmakers and artists.
Forgotten after his death, Micheaux was rediscovered in the late 1960s by South Dakota historians and in the 1970s by film historians interested in early black cinema. Although only 15 of his movies are known to have survived in whole or in part, Micheaux has become a cinematic icon. In 1986, he was posthumously awarded a special Directors Guild of America award. In 1995, the Producers Guild of America established the Oscar Micheaux Award to honor “an individual or individuals whose achievements in film and television have been accomplished despite difficult odds.”
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A self-supporting government enterprise, the U.S. Postal Service is the only delivery service that reaches every address in the nation, 150 million residences, businesses and Post Office Boxes. The Postal Service receives no direct support from taxpayers. With 36,000 retail locations and the most frequently visited website in the federal government, the Postal Service relies on the sale of postage, products and services to pay for operating expenses. Named the Most Trusted Government Agency five consecutive years and the sixth Most Trusted Business in the nation by the Ponemon Institute, the Postal Service has annual revenue of more than $68 billion and delivers nearly half the world’s mail. If it were a private sector company, the U.S. Postal Service would rank 28th in the 2009 Fortune 500.
