NEW YORK CITY — Film director, screenwriter, producer and distributor Oscar Micheaux, who illuminated the African–American experience through more than 40 feature films, was immortalized on a U.S. postage stamp today, taking his place as the 33rd person honored in the popular Black Heritage commemorative stamp series.

Micheaux’s unique storytelling ability shattered stereotypes and challenged film audiences with realistic representations of African–Americans. The stamp was dedicated today at a ceremony in Miller Auditorium at Columbia University.

“Oscar Micheaux was a transformational filmmaker and gifted storyteller with an uncompromising technique that embraced honest depictions of African–Americans,” said Delores Killette, vice president and Consumer Advocate for the U.S. Postal Service. “His films not only entertained, they left audiences with a sense of encouragement, hope and inspiration.”

Joining Killette at the event were Wycliffe Gordon, jazz musician and leader of the Wycliffe Gordon Quartet; Melvin Van Peebles, film director; Lisa Collins, producer, Right on Time Productions; Jamel Joseph, chair, Film Department, Columbia University; and Geoffrey Fletcher, Adjunct Faculty of Film, Columbia University School of the Arts. Other events taking place in New York City to recognize the issuance of the Oscar Micheaux commemorative stamp will be held at the Adam Clayton Powell Jr. State Office Building on June 23 and at Steiner Studios in Brooklyn on June 24.

The stamp is designed by Derry Noyes of Washington, DC, and features a stylized portrait of Oscar Micheaux by artist Gary Kelly of Cedar Falls, IA. The artwork is based on one of the few surviving photographs of Micheaux, a portrait that appeared in his 1913 novel The Conquest.

All 33 stamp designs in the Black Heritage commemorative series can be viewed online at http://beyondtheperf.com/.

The Postal Service receives no tax dollars for operating expenses, and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations.

Ordering the First–Day–of–Issue Postmark

Customers have 60 days to obtain the first–day–of–issue postmark by mail. They may purchase new stamps at their local Post Office facility, at The Postal Store® website at www.usps.com/shop, or by calling 800–STAMP–24. They should affix the stamps to envelopes of their choice, address the envelopes (to themselves or others), and place them in a larger envelope addressed to:

Oscar Micheaux Stamp
Postmaster
421 Eighth Avenue, Rm. 2029B
New York, NY 10199-9998

After applying the first–day–of–issue postmark, the Postal Service will return the envelopes through the mail. There is no charge for the postmark. All orders must be postmarked by Aug. 23, 2010.

Ordering First–Day Covers

Stamp Fulfillment Services also offers first–day covers for new stamp issues and Postal Service stationery items postmarked with the official first day of issue cancellation. Each item has an individual catalog number and is offered in the quarterly USA Philatelic Catalog. Customers may request a free catalog by calling 800–STAMP–24 or writing to:

Information Fulfillment
Dept. 6270
U.S. Postal Service
PO Box 219014
Kansas City, MO 64121–9014

Philatelic Products

With this stamp and cultural diary page, the U.S. Postal Service honors Oscar Micheaux, who wrote, directed, produced and distributed more than 40 movies during the first half of the 20th century. The diary page comes with a maxi card with the Oscar Micheaux stamp affixed and cancelled, plus a pane of 20 stamps (Item 464976, $13.95).

There are three other philatelic products available for this stamp issue:

• 464961, First–Day Cover 82 cents.
• 464991, Ceremony Program, $6.95.
• 464993, Cancellation Keepsake, $9.95.

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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.