Langston Hughes Stamp
 

Langston Hughes Honored In Black Heritage Commemorative Stamp
Series; USPS Celebrates 25th Anniversary of Black Heritage Series
U.S. Postal Service; Web Site: <A HREF="http://www.usps.com/">
www.usps.com</A> NEW YORK, Jan. 3 /U.S. Newswire/ -- Langston Hughes -- known
for
his insightful, colorful portrayals of black life in America from
the twenties through the sixties -- will soon receive one of the
nation's highest honors when the U.S. Postal Service issues a new
commemorative postage stamp in his honor. The stamp commemorates both the
centennial of Hughes' birth and
the 25th anniversary of the Black Heritage series. The Black
Heritage series began in 1978 with the issuance of the Harriet
Tubman commemorative stamp. The Hughes stamp will be issued Feb. 1
at the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, New York, N.Y.
"Langston Hughes used the collections of the Schomburg Center
throughout his career. He donated part of his papers to the Center
and his cremains are interred in the atrium of the Center's Langston
Hughes Auditorium," said Howard Dodson, director, Schomburg Center
for Research in Black Culture. "This 25th anniversary edition of the Black
Heritage Stamp
Series is a fitting tribute to the centennial of Hughes' birth. The
Schomburg Center is pleased to host the First Day of Issue
Ceremony," said Dodson. Hughes, considered one of the most important American
writers of
the 20th century, joins 24 other outstanding African-American
activists, theorists, educators, and leaders. Other notable
Americans in the Black Heritage commemorative series include:
Martin Luther King, Jr., Benjamin Banneker, Dr. Carter G. Woodson,
Madam C.J. Walker, Malcolm X (El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz), Patricia
Roberts Harris, and Roy Wilkins. Born in Joplin, Mo., on Feb. 1, 1902, Hughes
was the grandson of
Charles Howard Langston. His grandmother raised Hughes until he was
twelve, when he moved to Lincoln, Ill., to live with his mother.
It was during his high school years that he began writing poetry.
Following graduation from high school, Hughes spent a year in
Mexico, a year at Columbia University, and then traveled to Africa
and Europe. He finished his college education at Lincoln
University in Pa. Hughes was a member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity,
Inc. Although Hughes considered himself a poet first, he also wrote
novels, short stories and plays. Some of Hughes most noted works
of poetry include: The Weary Blues (1926); The Negro Mother and
other Dramatic Recitations (1931); The Dream Keeper (1932);
Shakespeare In Harlem (1942); Fields of Wonder (1947); One Way
Ticket (1947); The First Book of Jazz (1955); Tambourines To Glory
(1958); Selected Poems (1959); and The Best of Simple (1961). Hughes died of
cancer on May 22, 1967 in Harlem, N.Y. His block
of East 127th Street was renamed "Langston Hughes Place." Richard Sheaff of
Scottsdale, Ariz., was designer and art
director for the stamp. The stamp art is a 1946 black-and-white
photograph of Hughes taken in New York City by the renowned
photographer Henri Cartier-Bresson -- a friend of Hughes. One hundred twenty
million Langston Hughes self-adhesive stamps
will be printed for the February 2002 issuance. To see the Langston Hughes
stamp, go to the Postal Service Web
site at <A HREF="http://www.usps.com/">www.usps.com</A>. Click on News and
Events then Philatelic
News, and locate the online version of this press release. Images
of many past and future stamp issues can be found in the
collector's corner of the postal store at <A HREF="http://www.usps.com/shop">
www.usps.com/shop</A>. All current stamps and other philatelic products, as
well as a
free comprehensive catalog, are available by calling toll-free
800-STAMP-24. In addition, a selection of current stamps and gift
items are available online at the postal store.
Honored