Pictured are students from left to right: Malcom Seaton, 7th grade; Jordan Jesselin, 8th grade; Darius Knox, 7th grade; Yvan Jean, 7th grade.  Adults from left to right: Roxanne Hosein, USPS Marketing Manager, Triboro District; John Lunghi, Postmaster of Jamaica NY; Kenyatte Reid, Principal, The Eagle Academy for Young Men III and Sherilyn Simmons – Manager, Bellerose Post Office

JAMAICA NY — Architect and educator Robert Robinson Taylor (1868-1942) was a trailblazer, believed to have been both the first African-American graduate of MIT and the nation’s first academically trained black architect. On Thursday, Feb 26, 2015 the U.S. Postal Service in collaboration with The Eagle Academy for Young Men III in Jamaica Queens held a special stamp unveiling ceremony commemorating the works and legacy of Mr. Taylor.  Mr. Taylor was inducted into the Postal Service’s Black Heritage Stamp seriesbecoming the 38th person honored on the limited-edition Black Heritage Stamp released annually during Black History Month.

“His trailblazing spirit opened doors for today’s professionals, and his commitment to education is a lesson that transcends generations”, said Jamaica Postmaster John Lunghi. “Booker T. Washington recruited Taylor to the Tuskegee Institute in Alabama where he designed and oversaw the construction of dozens of new buildings built in an elegant, dignified style that befitted his personality. But it was Tuskegee’s Chapel that Taylor considered to be his finest achievement and masterpiece.”   During three decades of design projects, Taylor was also overseeing the school’s programs in industrial education and the building trades.  

Taylor is honored with such luminaries as Martin Luther King Jr., Paul Robeson, Marian Anderson, Thurgood Marshall and Shirley Chisholm. Designed by art director Derry Noyes, the stamp features a photograph of Taylor that was taken circa 1890, when he was in his early 20’s and a student at MIT.

Eagle Academy students showed their support during the celebration by singing Lift Every Voice and Sing as well as reading personal essays and poetry.  Contributing to the programs effort and emphasis on the importance of academic scholarship and hard work were USPS Triboro District Marketing Manager Roxanne Hosein, Bellerose Post Office Manager Sherilyn Simmons and Kenyatte Reid, Principal, The Eagle Academy for Young Men III.  Also in attendance were representatives from Congressman Meeks and Assemblyman Scarborough’s office, the NYC Council and district community boards along with Jamaica’s Customer Advisory Council.

Stamps are like miniature masterpieces that carry on the legacy of the people, events and places having played an important role in the American experience. The Robert Robinson Taylor stamp can be enjoyed throughout the year and not just during Black History Month. The USPS regularly incorporates stamp unveilings during community celebrations in towns and schools focusing on such themes as Breast Cancer Awareness Month and Black History Month.

The Robert Robinson Taylor stamps are Forever stamps in self-adhesive sheets of 20. Forever stamps are always equal in value to the current First-Class Mail one-ounce rate.  To coincide with Black History Month, the Smithsonian’s National Postal Museum, opened the museum’s “Freedom Around the Corner: Black America from the Civil War to Civil Rights” exhibit.

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