Summary
The U.S. Postal Service will release a new stamp in 2026 to honor Phillis Wheatley, the first African-descended author in the American colonies to publish a book. The stamp is part of USPS's Black Heritage series and will be unveiled at an event in Boston.
Key Facts
- The new stamp features Phillis Wheatley and is the 49th in the USPS Black Heritage series.
- The stamp's first-day-of-issue event is on January 29, 2026, in Boston at the Old South Meeting House.
- The event is free, but attendees need to register on the USPS website.
- The stamp is designed by Antonio Alcalá with artwork by Kerry James Marshall.
- Phillis Wheatley was born around 1753 in West Africa and was enslaved in Boston.
- She published her book "Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral" in 1773 and gained her freedom that same year.
- Wheatley's work served as inspiration and a tool for abolitionists and continues to be celebrated today.
- The stamp is classified as a Forever stamp, meaning its value matches the current First-Class Mail rates.
