As the nation observes Black History Month this February, the U.S.
Postal Service® is proud to present the 2018 Black Heritage® Forever® stamp
commemorating the life and legacy of legendary performer and civil rights
activist Lena Horne.
The Lena Horne Forever stamp is the 41st in the Black
Heritage Stamp series. It was dedicated by Deputy Postmaster
General™ Ronald Stroman during a January 30th ceremony at the Peter Norton
Symphony Space in New York.
“Today, we honor the 70-year career of a true American legend,”
said Stroman. “With this Forever stamp, The Postal Service™ celebrates a woman
who used her platform as a renowned entertainer to become a prolific voice for
civil rights advancement and gender equality.”
Joining Stroman to
unveil the stamp were Gail Lumet Buckley, an author and Horne’s daughter; Christian
Steiner, photographer; and Amy Niles, president and chief executive officer,
WBGO Radio.
The stamp art features
a photograph of Lena Horne taken by Christian Steiner in the 1980s. Kristen
Monthei colorized the original black-and-white photo using a royal blue for the
dress, a color Horne frequently wore. Monthei also added a background
reminiscent of Horne’s Stormy Weather album, with a few clouds to add
texture and to subtly make the album reference. Art director Ethel Kessler
designed the stamp.
Always be smarter than the people who hire you --Lena Horne
About Lena Horne
Born in Brooklyn, NY, on June 30, 1917, Horne was a trailblazer in
Hollywood for women of color and used her fame to inspire Americans as a
dedicated activist for civil rights.
Horne began her career as a dancer at Harlem’s Cotton Club and
later became a featured vocalist with touring orchestras. The rampant racial
discrimination she encountered from audiences, hotel and venue managers and
others was so disconcerting that she stopped touring, and in 1941, she made her
move to Hollywood. A year later, she signed a contract with MGM – the
first black actress to sign a long-term contract with a film studio since
1915 – with the stipulation that she would never be asked to take stereotypical
roles then available to black actors. Her most famous movie roles were in Cabin
in the Sky and Stormy Weather, both released in 1943.
During World War II, Horne entertained at camps for black
servicemen, and after the war worked on behalf of Japanese Americans who were
facing discriminatory housing policies. She worked with Eleanor Roosevelt in
pressing for anti-lynching legislation. In the 1960s, Horne continued her
high-profile work for civil rights, performing at rallies in the South,
supporting the work of the National Council for Negro Women, and participating
in the 1963 March on Washington.
Horne’s awards and honors include a special Tony Award for her
one-woman Broadway show, Lena Horne: The Lady and Her Music; three
Grammy Awards; the NAACP Spingarn Medal; and the Actors Equity Paul Robeson
Award. She was a Kennedy Center Honors recipient in 1984, and her name is among
those on the International Civil Rights Walk of Fame at the Martin Luther King
Jr. National Historic Site.
SOURCE: uspsblog.com
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