Late Rep. John Lewis Memorialized by USPS Stamp
On December 13th, 2022, the USPS announced that they will honor the late Representative John Lewis among others with a Forever Stamp. Each year the US Postal Service issues limited edition stamps for the upcoming year. These honor meaningful Americans the experiences, places, and things that are important to American citizens.
Representative John Lewis
Rep. Lewis dedicated his life in service to America and the betterment of her people. Lewis is honored as an activist, civil rights leader, and trailblazing congressman. Prior to his elected service, Lewis was a leader in the civil rights movement and a strong supporter of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s approach to non-violent protesting. Despite the violence, threats, and numerous arrests Lewis faced, the USPS says that “Lewis remained resolute in his commitment to what he liked to call ‘good trouble’.” Although this non-violence was often met by violence from opposing groups, Lewis’ efforts to challenge segregation and oppression contributed to the Voting Rights Act of 1965 being passed. Over the course of the next 20 years, Lewis continued to work in activist and local roles from founding the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee to being the executive director of the nonpartisan Voter Education Project to President Carter appointing him to lead a federal volunteer agency. Lewis also served on the Atlanta City Council in 1981.
In 1986, John Lewis was elected to the 100th Congress in the House of Representatives to represent an Atlanta district. This was the beginning of 33 years of service in the House of Representatives as a member of the Democratic Party. During his service, Representative Lewis was known for remaining true to his activism efforts amid leadership and legislative initiatives. He served on numerous committees and did his best to use his position to advance equality and justice for all. According to the House of Representatives website, Lewis was considered the “conscience of Congress” due to his dedication to morality, civil rights, and truth in Congress. During his 33 years in Congress, Representative Lewis received the respect from both the Democratic and Republican parties with his nonpartisan lawmaking efforts. After his death in 2020, Representative Lewis “became the first Black lawmaker to lie in state in the U.S. Capitol Rotunda” according to the House of Representatives website.
More information about the late Representative John Lewis and his service to the United States can be found here on the History of the House of Representatives website.
USPS Stamps
The U.S. Postal Service created the Forever Stamp program where new stamps are issued each year and are valid (as the name indicates) forever. These are artisitc stamps that highlight the American experience. Some of the people, places, and things memorialized by these stamps in 2023 include the Florida Everglades, Tomie dePaola (the author of children’s book Strega Nona), famous American bridges, and the artwork found underneath skateboards. These designs are in addition to the numerous other stamp designs released in October 2022 which can be found here.
