29c W.E.B. Du Bois stamp

Critic, editor, scholar, author, civil rights leader, and one of the most influential African Americans of the 20th century, William Edward Burghardt. DuBois (1868-1963) took his academic pursuit in sociology and enacted real life change in society. He was one of the founders of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) in 1909 and served as its paper's editor in chief for 25 years. Through the NAACP's The Crisis, DuBois drew the critical eye of the nation and congress to the horrors of lynching and the mistreatment of returning black soldiers from World War I. In later years, DuBois turned his attention to the global issues of race and the Pan-African Movement.

A 29-cent W.E.B. Du Bois commemorative stamp was issued in Atlanta, Georgia, on January 31, 1991. The stamp was designed by Higgins Bond and printed in the offset/intaglio process by the Bureau of Engraving and Printing.

This stamp is part of the Black Heritage Stamp Series. Initiated in 1978, the USPS continues to issue a stamp featuring a notable Black American every February in conjunction with Black History Month and at other times during the year.

Reference:
Postal Bulletin (December 26, 1991).

Scott Catalogue USA: 2617

Copyright United States Postal Service. All rights reserved.

Museum ID: 1993.2015.229