As black people electric slide their way into this year’s Black History Month, many are excited about what February has in store. With Nike previewing a Pan-African BHM collection, the NBA All-Star game (a.k.a. the ultimate game of pick-up) and the premiere of Black Panther happening during these 28 days, it seems like only an Anita Baker-Chaka Khan collab could make this month better.
Yet, just when it felt like February couldn’t be topped, Carter G. Woodson was Google’s doodle of the day and the United States Postal Service (USPS) announced that the legendary singer and actress, Lena Horne, will be honored with her own stamp.
The #LenaHorneForever stamp, honoring the legendary performer and civil rights activist, officially joins our #BlackHeritageStamps series. Order yours today! https://t.co/LvkQexSJZm pic.twitter.com/0dWv9MFuIX
— U.S. Postal Service (@USPS) January 30, 2018
This news made Horne the 41st addition to the USPS’s “Black Heritage Stamp Series.” This is a deserved honor. As an entertainer, Horne not only amassed numerous accolades—including three Grammys and a Tony award for her one-woman show, Lena Horne: The Lady and Her Music—but also used her popularity to aid in the fight for civil rights, working with Eleanor Roosevelt to pass the anti-lynching legislation.
This paired with her tremendous talents made the Brooklyn native’s stamp—which went on sale this Tuesday (Jan. 30)—a small but meaningful commemoration of Lena Horne’s influential impact.