African American Subjects on United States Postage Stamps
The first U.S. stamp to honor an African American was the ten-cent Booker T. Washington stamp, issued in 1940. In 1978, the Postal Service initiated the Black Heritage stamp series, to recognize the achievements of individual African Americans.
Below is a list of stamps issued in honor of African Americans and their contributions. Stamps on which African Americans are part of a mixed scene — for example, the 15-cent "International Year of the Child" issued in 1979 — are not included.
| Subject | Denomination | Date Issued |
|---|---|---|
| Booker T. Washington | 10¢ | April 7, 1940 |
| 13th Amendment | 3¢ | October 20, 1940 |
| Dr. George Washington Carver | 3¢ | January 5, 1948 |
| Centennial of Booker T. Washington | 3¢ | April 5, 1956 |
| Emancipation Proclamation | 5¢ | August 16, 1963 |
| Frederick Douglass | 25¢ | February 4, 1967 |
| W. C. Handy | 6¢ | May 17, 1969 |
| Henry Ossawa Tanner | 8¢ | September 10, 1973 |
| Paul Laurence Dunbar | 10¢ | May 1, 1975 |
| Salem Poor | 10¢ | March 25, 1975 |
| Black Heritage: Harriet Tubman | 13¢ | February 1, 1978 |
| Black Heritage: Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. | 15¢ | January 13, 1979 |
| Black Heritage: Benjamin Banneker | 15¢ | February 15, 1980 |
| Black Heritage: Whitney Moore Young, Jr. | 15¢ | January 30, 1981 |
| Charles R. Drew, MD | 35¢ | June 3, 1981 |
| Ralph Bunche | 20¢ | January 12, 1982 |
| Black Heritage: Jackie Robinson | 20¢ | August 2, 1982 |
| Black Heritage: Scott Joplin | 20¢ | June 9, 1983 |
| Black Heritage: Dr. Carter G. Woodson | 20¢ | February 1, 1984 |
| Black Heritage: Mary McLeod Bethune | 22¢ | March 5, 1985 |
| Black Heritage: Sojourner Truth | 22¢ | February 4, 1986 |
| Duke Ellington | 22¢ | April 29, 1986 |
| Arctic Explorers: Matthew Henson | 22¢ | May 28, 1986 |
| Black Heritage: Jean Baptiste Pointe DuSable | 22¢ | February 20, 1987 |
| Black Heritage: James Weldon Johnson | 22¢ | February 2, 1988 |
| Black Heritage: A. Philip Randolph | 25¢ | February 3, 1989 |
| Black Heritage: Ida B. Wells | 25¢ | February 1, 1990 |
| Olympians: Jesse Owens | 25¢ | July 6, 1990 |
| Black Heritage: Jan E. Matzeliger | 29¢ | September 15, 1991 |
| Black Heritage: W.E.B. DuBois | 29¢ | January 31, 1992 |
| Black Heritage: Percy Lavon Julian | 29¢ | January 29, 1993 |
| Legends of American Music, Rock & Roll / Rhythm & Blues: Clyde McPhatter | 29¢ | June 16, 1993 |
| Legends of American Music, Rock & Roll / Rhythm & Blues: Otis Redding | 29¢ | June 16, 1993 |
| Legends of American Music, Rock & Roll / Rhythm & Blues: Dinah Washington | 29¢ | June 16, 1993 |
| Joe Louis | 29¢ | June 22, 1993 |
| Legends of American Music, Broadway Musicals: Porgy & Bess | 29¢ | July 14, 1993 |
| Black Heritage: Dr. Allison Davis | 29¢ | February 1, 1994 |
| Buffalo Soldiers | 29¢ | April 22, 1994 |
| Legends of American Music, Popular Singers: Nat 'King' Cole | 29¢ | September 1, 1994 |
| Legends of American Music, Popular Singers: Ethel Waters | 29¢ | September 1, 1994 |
| Legends of American Music, Jazz and Blues Singers: Mildred Bailey | 29¢ | September 17, 1994 |
| Legends of American Music, Jazz and Blues Singers: Billie Holiday | 29¢ | September 17, 1994 |
| Legends of American Music, Jazz and Blues Singers: Robert Johnson | 29¢ | September 17, 1994 |
| Legends of American Music, Jazz and Blues Singers: 'Ma' Rainey | 29¢ | September 17, 1994 |
| Legends of American Music, Jazz and Blues Singers: Jimmy Rushing | 29¢ | September 17, 1994 |
| Legends of American Music, Jazz and Blues Singers: Bessie Smith | 29¢ | September 17, 1994 |
| Legends of American Music, Jazz and Blues Singers: Muddy Waters | 29¢ | September 17, 1994 |
| Legends of American Music, Jazz and Blues Singers: Howlin' Wolf | 29¢ | September 17, 1994 |
| Legends of the West: Jim Beckwourth | 29¢ | October 18, 1994 |
| Legends of the West: Bill Pickett | 29¢ | October 18, 1994 |
| Black Heritage: Bessie Coleman | 32¢ | April 27, 1995 |
| Civil War: Frederick Douglass | 32¢ | June 29, 1995 |
| Civil War: Harriet Tubman | 32¢ | June 29, 1995 |
| Legends of American Music, Jazz Musicians: Louis Armstrong | 32¢ | September 1, 1995 |
| Legends of American Music, Jazz Musicians: Louis Armstrong | 32¢ | September 16, 1995 |
| Legends of American Music, Jazz Musicians: Eubie Blake | 32¢ | September 16, 1995 |
| Legends of American Music, Jazz Musicians: John Coltrane | 32¢ | September 16, 1995 |
| Legends of American Music, Jazz Musicians: Erroll Garner | 32¢ | September 16, 1995 |
| Legends of American Music, Jazz Musicians: Coleman Hawkins | 32¢ | September 16, 1995 |
| Legends of American Music, Jazz Musicians: James P. Johnson | 32¢ | September 16, 1995 |
| Legends of American Music, Jazz Musicians: Charlie Parker | 32¢ | September 16, 1995 |
| Legends of American Music, Jazz Musicians: Charles Mingus | 32¢ | September 16, 1995 |
| Legends of American Music, Jazz Musicians: Thelonious Monk | 32¢ | September 16, 1995 |
| Legends of American Music, Jazz Musicians: 'Jelly Roll' Morton | 32¢ | September 16, 1995 |
| Black Heritage: Ernest E. Just | 32¢ | February 1, 1996 |
| Folk Heroes: John Henry | 32¢ | July 11, 1996 |
| Legends of American Music, Big Band Leaders: Count Basie | 32¢ | September 11, 1996 |
| Black Heritage: Benjamin O. Davis, Sr. | 32¢ | January 28, 1997 |
| Holiday Celebrations: Kwanzaa | 32¢ | October 22, 1997 |
| Black Heritage: Madam C. J. Walker | 32¢ | January 28, 1998 |
| Celebrate the Century-1900s: W. E. B. DuBois, Social Activist | 32¢ | February 3, 1998 |
| Celebrate the Century-1910s: George Washington Carver | 32¢ | February 3, 1998 |
| Celebrate the Century-1920s: Jazz Flourishes | 32¢ | May 28, 1998 |
| Legends of American Music, Folk Musicians: Leadbelly | 32¢ | June 26, 1998 |
| Legends of American Music, Folk Musicians: Sonny Terry | 32¢ | June 26, 1998 |
| Legends of American Music, Folk Musicians: Josh White | 32¢ | June 26, 1998 |
| Legends of American Music, Gospel Singers: Mahalia Jackson | 32¢ | July 15, 1998 |
| Legends of American Music, Gospel Singers: Roberta Martin | 32¢ | July 15, 1998 |
| Legends of American Music, Gospel Singers: Sister Rosetta | 32¢ | July 15, 1998 |
| Legends of American Music, Gospel Singers: Clara Ward | 32¢ | July 15, 1998 |
| Celebrate the Century-1930s: Jesse Owens | 32¢ | September 10, 1998 |
| Black Heritage: Malcolm X | 33¢ | January 20, 1999 |
| Celebrate the Century-1940s: Jackie Robinson | 33¢ | February 18, 1999 |
| Celebrate the Century-1950s: Desegregating Public Schools | 33¢ | May 26, 1999 |
| Celebrate the Century-1960s: "I Have A Dream" | 33¢ | September 17, 1999 |
| Celebrate the Century-1980s: "The Cosby Show" | 33¢ | January 12, 2000 |
| Celebrate the Century-1980s: Hip-hop Culture | 33¢ | January 12, 2000 |
| Black Heritage: Patricia Roberts Harris | 33¢ | January 27, 2000 |
| Legends of Baseball: Josh Gibson | 33¢ | July 6, 2000 |
| Legends of Baseball: Satchel Paige | 33¢ | July 6, 2000 |
| Legends of Baseball: Jackie Robinson | 33¢ | July 6, 2000 |
| Black Heritage: Roy Wilkins | 34¢ | January 24, 2001 |
| Holiday Celebrations: Kwanzaa | 34¢ | October 21, 2001 |
| Black Heritage: Langston Hughes | 34¢ | February 1, 2002 |
| Masters of American Photography: James VanDerZee | 37¢ | June 13, 2002 |
| Women in Journalism: Ethel L. Payne | 37¢ | September 14, 2002 |
| Holiday Celebrations: Kwanzaa | 37¢ | October 10, 2002 |
| Black Heritage: Thurgood Marshall | 37¢ | January 7, 2003 |
| Literary Arts: Zora Neale Hurston | 37¢ | January 24, 2003 |
| Black Heritage: Paul Robeson | 37¢ | January 20, 2004 |
| American Choreographers: Alvin Ailey | 37¢ | May 4, 2004 |
| Distinguished Americans: Wilma Rudolph | 23¢ | July 14, 2004 |
| Literary Arts: James Baldwin | 37¢ | July 23, 2004 |
| Holiday Celebrations: Kwanzaa | 37¢ | October 16, 2004 |
| Black Heritage: Marian Anderson | 37¢ | January 27, 2005 |
| Arthur Ashe | 37¢ | August 27, 2005 |
| To Form a More Perfect Union: Selma March | 37¢ | August 30, 2005 |
| To Form a More Perfect Union: Montgomery Bus Boycott | 37¢ | August 30, 2005 |
| To Form a More Perfect Union: Greensboro Lunch Counter Sit In | 37¢ | August 30, 2005 |
| To Form a More Perfect Union: Freedom Riders | 37¢ | August 30, 2005 |
| To Form a More Perfect Union: Little Rock Nine | 37¢ | August 30, 2005 |
| To Form a More Perfect Union: Civil Rights Act of 1964 | 37¢ | August 30, 2005 |
| To Form a More Perfect Union: Brown v. Board of Education | 37¢ | August 30, 2005 |
| To Form a More Perfect Union: Executive Order 9981 | 37¢ | August 30, 2005 |
| To Form a More Perfect Union: March on Washington | 37¢ | August 30, 2005 |
| To Form a More Perfect Union: Voting Rights Act of 1965 | 37¢ | August 30, 2005 |
| Black Heritage: Hattie McDaniel | 39¢ | January 25, 2006 |
| Sugar Ray Robinson | 39¢ | April 7, 2006 |
| Distinguished American Diplomats: Clifton R. Wharton Sr. | 39¢ | May 30, 2006 |
| Baseball Sluggers: Roy Campanella | 39¢ | July 15, 2006 |
| American Treasures: Gee's Bend Quilts | 39¢ | August 24, 2006 |
| Black Heritage: Ella Fitzgerald | 39¢ | January 10, 2007 |
| Black Heritage: Charles W. Chesnutt | 41¢ | January 31, 2008 |
| Vintage Black Cinema: The Sport of the Gods | 42¢ | July 16, 2008 |
| Vintage Black Cinema: Black and Tan | 42¢ | July 16, 2008 |
| Vintage Black Cinema: Princess Tam-Tam | 42¢ | July 16, 2008 |
| Vintage Black Cinema: Caldonia | 42¢ | July 16, 2008 |
| Vintage Black Cinema: Hallelujah | 42¢ | July 16, 2008 |
| Civil Rights Pioneers: Mary Church Terrell and Mary White Ovington | 42¢ | February 21, 2009 |
| Civil Rights Pioneers: J.R. Clifford and Joel Elias Spingarn | 42¢ | February 21, 2009 |
| Civil Rights Pioneers: Oswald Garrison Villard and Daisy Gatson Bates | 42¢ | February 21, 2009 |
| Civil Rights Pioneers: Charles Hamilton Houston and Walter White | 42¢ | February 21, 2009 |
| Civil Rights Pioneers: Medgar Evers and Fannie Lou Hamer | 42¢ | February 21, 2009 |
| Civil Rights Pioneers: Ella Baker and Ruby Hurley | 42¢ | February 21, 2009 |
| Richard Wright | 61¢ | April 9, 2009 |
| Black Heritage: Anna Julia Cooper | 44¢ | June 11, 2009 |
| Holiday Celebrations: Kwanzaa | 44¢ | October 9, 2009 |
| Distinguished Sailors: Doris Miller | 44¢ | February 4, 2010 |
| Black Heritage: Oscar Micheaux | 44¢ | June 22, 2010 |
| Negro Leagues Baseball: Rube Foster | 44¢ | July 15, 2010 |
Since 2011, all commemorative stamps for the First-Class Mail one-ounce rate have been Forever stamps, equal in value to the current First-Class Mail one-ounce price. The value given in parentheses was the price of the stamp when first issued.
| Subject | Denomination | Date Issued |
|---|---|---|
| Latin Music Legends: Celia Cruz | (44¢) | March 16, 2011 |
| Jazz | (44¢) | March 26, 2011 |
| Black Heritage: Barbara Jordan | (44¢) | September 16, 2011 |
| Romare Bearden (four designs) | (44¢) | September 28, 2011 |
| Holiday Celebrations: Kwanzaa | (44¢) | October 14, 2011 |
| Black Heritage: John H. Johnson | (45¢) | January 31, 2012 |
| American Treasures: William H. Johnson | (45¢) | April 11, 2012 |
| Twentieth-Century Poets: Gwendolyn Brooks | (45¢) | April 21, 2012 |
| Twentieth-Century Poets: Robert Hayden | (45¢) | April 21, 2012 |
| Miles Davis | (45¢) | June 12, 2012 |
| Major League Baseball All-Stars: Larry Doby | (45¢) | July 20, 2012 |
| Major League Baseball All-Stars: Willie Stargell | (45¢) | July 20, 2012 |
| Innovative Choreographers: Katherine Dunham | (45¢) | July 28, 2012 |
| Civil Rights: Emancipation Proclamation | (45¢) | January 1, 2013 |
| Civil Rights: Rosa Parks | (46¢) | February 4, 2013 |
| Modern Art in America: Aaron Douglas | (46¢) | March 7, 2013 |
| Black Heritage: Althea Gibson | (46¢) | August 23, 2013 |
| Civil Rights: The 1963 March on Washington | (46¢) | August 23, 2013 |
| Music Icons: Ray Charles | (46¢) | September 23, 2013 |
| Holiday Celebrations: Kwanzaa | (46¢) | November 26, 2013 |
| Black Heritage: Shirley Chisholm | (46¢) | January 31, 2014 |
| Literary Arts: Ralph Ellison | (91¢) | February 18, 2014 |
| Music Icons: Jimi Hendrix | (49¢) | March 13, 2014 |
| Distinguished Americans: C. Alfred “Chief” Anderson | (70¢) | March 13, 2014 |
| Celebrity Chefs: Edna Lewis | (49¢) | September 26, 2014 |
| Wilt Chamberlain | (49¢) | December 5, 2014 |
| Black Heritage: Robert Robinson Taylor | (49¢) | February 12, 2015 |
| Maya Angelou | (49¢) | April 7, 2015 |
| Black Heritage: Richard Allen | (49¢) | February 2, 2016 |
| Music Icons: Sarah Vaughan | (49¢) | March 29, 2016 |
| Holiday Celebrations: Kwanzaa | (47¢) | October 1, 2016 |
| Black Heritage: Dorothy Height | (49¢) | February 1, 2017 |
| The Snowy Day (4 designs) | (49¢) | October 4, 2017 |
| Celebrating African American Heritage and Culture | (49¢) | October 13, 2017 |
| Black Heritage: Lena Horne | (50¢) | January 30, 2018 |
| Kwanzaa 2018 | (50¢) | October 10, 2018 |
| Black Heritage: Gregory Hines | (55¢) | January 28, 2019 |
| Music Icons: Marvin Gaye | (55¢) | April 2, 2019 |
| Black Heritage: Gwen Ifill | (55¢) | January 30, 2020 |
| Voices of the Harlem Renaissance: | ||
| Nella Larsen | (55¢) | May 21, 2020 |
| Alain Locke | (55¢) | May 21, 2020 |
| Arturo Schomburg | (55¢) | May 21, 2020 |
| Anne Spencer | (55¢) | May 21, 2020 |
| Hip Hop: | ||
| MC | (55¢) | July 1, 2020 |
| B-Boy | (55¢) | July 1, 2020 |
| Graffiti Artist | (55¢) | July 1, 2020 |
| DJ | (55¢) | July 1, 2020 |
| Kwanzaa 2020 | (55¢) | October 13, 2020 |
| Black Heritage: August Wilson | (55¢) | January 28, 2021 |
| Black Heritage: Edmonia Lewis | (58¢) | January 26, 2022 |
| Kwanzaa 2022 | (60¢) | October 13, 2022 |
| Black Heritage: Ernest J. Gaines | (63¢) | January 23, 2023 |
| Toni Morrison | (63¢) | March 7, 2023 |
| John Lewis | (66¢) | July 21, 2023 |
HISTORIAN
UNITED STATES POSTAL SERVICE
JULY 2023