Barbara Jordan Honored: Black Heritage Forever Stamp Features Legendary Congresswoman

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Sep 16, 2011, 12:00 ET

HOUSTON, Sept. 16, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Barbara Jordan, one of America's most respected and influential politicians, was recognized today by the U.S. Postal Service as the 34th honoree in the popular Black Heritage stamp series.

The Barbara Jordan Forever Stamp goes on sale today at Post Offices nationwide, online at usps.com and by phone at 800-782-6724.

"Throughout her lifetime, Barbara Jordan received many prestigious honors and awards, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom, our nation's highest civilian honor, in 1994," said Ellis Burgoyne, chief information officer and executive vice president, Postal Service. Burgoyne spoke during a first-day-of-issue ceremony held on the campus of Texas Southern University in Houston.

"Staunchly determined to help extend social justice and federal protection of equal rights to all American citizens, Barbara Jordan dedicated her life to working for the benefit of others," said Burgoyne. "At the Postal Service, we are proud to share her legacy with all Americans through the issuance of this new commemorative Forever stamp."

Joining Burgoyne to dedicate the stamp were U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee of Texas; Dr. John M. Rudley, president, Texas Southern University; and Karen Hauser, president, Houston Alumnae Chapter, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority. Barbara Jordan's sister, Rose Mary McGowan, also spoke.

Since 1978, when the Postal Service issued the Harriet Tubman stamp, the Black Heritage series has helped educate Americans about the achievements and contributions of noted African-Americans. Past honorees include Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Jackie Robinson, Carter G. Woodson, Madam C.J. Walker, Thurgood Marshall and Marian Anderson.

Born in Houston, Barbara Jordan was the first African-American woman elected to the Texas legislature. She also was the first African-American elected to the Texas State Senate since 1883, and the first African-American woman elected from the South to the U.S. Congress, where she served three terms, sponsoring and supporting numerous pieces of legislation extending federal protection of civil rights.

In 1976, Jordan gained national acclaim when she became the first woman and the first African-American to deliver a keynote address to the Democratic National Convention. Jordan's speech resonated throughout the country as she described Americans as "a people in search of a national community ... attempting to fulfill our national purpose, to create and sustain a society in which all of us are equal."

In 1984, Jordan was elected to the Texas Women's Hall of Fame. She was named one of the most influential American women in the 20th century by the National Women's Hall of Fame in 1993.

The portrait featured on the Barbara Jordan Forever Stamp is an oil painting by award-winning artist Albert Slark of Ajax, Ontario, Canada. Slark based his portrait on an undated black-and-white photograph of Jordan.

How to Order the First-Day-of-Issue Postmark
Customers have 60 days to obtain the first-day-of-issue postmark by mail. They may purchase new stamps at a local Post Office, at The Postal Store website at usps.com/shop or by calling 800-STAMP-24. They should affix the stamps to envelopes of their choice, address the envelopes (to themselves or others) and place them in larger envelopes addressed to:

Barbara Jordan Stamp
USPS District Office – Retail
600 N. Sam Houston Parkway W
Houston, TX 77067-9997

After applying the first-day-of-issue postmark, the Postal Service will return the envelopes through the mail. There is no charge for the postmark. All orders must be postmarked by Nov. 16, 2011.

How to Order First-Day Covers
The Postal Service also offers first-day covers for new stamp issues and Postal Service stationery items postmarked with the official first-day-of-issue cancellation. Each item has an individual catalog number and is offered in the quarterly "USA Philatelic" catalog. Customers may request a free catalog by calling 800-STAMP-24 or writing to:

Information Fulfillment
Dept. 6270
U.S. Postal Service
P.O. Box 219014
Kansas City, MO 64121-9014

Philatelic Products
There are eight philatelic products available for this stamp issue:

466261, First-Day Cover, $0.88
466265, Digital Color Postmark, $1.60
466276, Diary Page and Maxi Card, $13.95
466291, Ceremony Program, $6.95
466299, Cancellation Keepsake (Digital Color Postmark w/Pane), $10.95

To learn more about the Postal Service's Stamp Program, visit http://beyondtheperf.com.

The Postal Service receives no tax dollars for operating expenses and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations.

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Please note: For broadcast quality video and audio, photo stills and other media resources, visit the USPS Newsroom at usps.com/news.

A self-supporting government enterprise, the U.S. Postal Service is the only delivery service that reaches every address in the nation, 150 million residences, businesses and Post Office Boxes. The Postal Service receives no tax dollars for operating expenses and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations. With 32,000 retail locations and the most frequently visited website in the federal government, usps.com, the Postal Service has annual revenue of more than $67 billion and delivers nearly 40 percent of the world's mail. If it were a private sector company, the U.S. Postal Service would rank 29th in the 2010 Fortune 500. Black Enterprise and Hispanic Business magazines ranked the Postal Service as a leader in workforce diversity. The Postal Service has been named the Most Trusted Government Agency six consecutive years and the sixth Most Trusted Business in the nation by the Ponemon Institute.

SOURCE U.S. Postal Service