Civil Rights activist and Congressman John Lewis was revealed as the United States Postal Service’s newest “forever stamp” at an event at Morehouse College.
On Friday (July 21), the U.S. Postal Service celebrated the legacy of Rep. John Lewis (1940-2020), an American hero and key figure in some of the most pivotal moments of the Civil Rights Movement, by issuing a Forever stamp with his portrait.
Hundreds of people gathered at Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia to witness the dedication.
The stamp features a photograph of Lewis taken by Marco Grob for the Aug. 26, 2013, issue of Time Magazine. Lewis’s name is at the bottom of the stamp. The words “USA” and “Forever” appear in the stamp’s top left corner. Derry Noyes, an art director for USPS, designed the stamp.
“Look carefully at how the shadow falls on the right side of his face, illuminating the left side, in a way that seems to take the viewer from darkness into the light. A fitting tribute to a man who sought to awaken the conscience of a country,” said Ronald A. Stroman, a member of the U.S. Postal Service Board of Governors and dedicating official for the stamp.
“The Postal Service is proud to celebrate Lewis — a national treasure — and to honor his legacy with the tribute of this Forever stamp that is as beautiful visually as was the spirit of the man whose image it bears,” Stroman added.
The full ceremony is available to watch on Youtube.