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As part of the “Black Heritage Stamp Series,” officials with the USPS will be on hand to dedicate a Forever stamp on Friday, honoring Richard Allen, a preacher, activist and civic leader that founded the African Methodist Episcopal (A.M.E.) Church 200 years ago.
The stamp is the 39th in the series, which began in 1978 with a stamp honoring Harriet Tubman. Others that have been celebrated include Martin Luther King, Jr., Benjamin Banneker, Carter Woodson, Langston Hughes and Ella Fitzgerald.
“Richard Allen was a man of boundless stature, courage and determination,” USPS Vice President of Eastern Operations Joshua Colin said in a statement. “The Postal Service is pleased to dedicate this special commemorative Forever stamp in his honor.”
According to Mount Vernon officials, “the stamp is a portrait of Allen, a detail from an 1876 print titled ‘Bishops of the A.M.E. Church,’” featuring the dignitary int he center surrounded by 10 other bishops and six historical vignettes. It is from the collection of the Library Company of Philadelphia - where there was a first-day-of-issue ceremony.
The grand unveiling of this month’s stamp will take place at 11 a.m. on Friday, at the Mount Vernon Public Library on South First Avenue. Speakers at the event are set to include Mattie Little, the President of the Mount Vernon NAACP chapter, Allen Temple AME Church Rev. Hugh Marriot, USPS Westchester District Manager Richard Conte and Mount Vernon Postmaster Maureen Burke, including a performance from the student choir at the Amani Public Charter School.
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