The Postal Service is observing Black History Month, which began Feb. 1.
The annual commemoration traces its roots to 1926, when historian Carter G. Woodson helped establish a week to raise awareness of African Americans’ contributions. The observance was expanded to a full month in 1976.
Since 1978, USPS has commemorated the occasion by releasing an annual Black Heritage stamp. This year’s release honors Allen Toussaint, a virtuoso pianist, singer, songwriter, composer, arranger and producer.
Other Black Heritage stamp subjects have included political leader Shirley Chisholm, educator Mary McLeod Bethune, singer Lena Horne, journalist Gwen Ifill and civil rights pioneer Martin Luther King Jr.
African Americans have also made important contributions to the U.S. postal system throughout its history.
In the early 20th century, many African Americans found steady, valuable jobs in urban Post Offices.
In the 1960s, the number of African American employees promoted to supervisory positions grew exponentially, and African Americans were appointed as postmasters of the nation’s three largest Post Offices — New York City, Chicago and Los Angeles.
Today, approximately 30 percent of the Postal Service workforce is African American.
The usps.com postal history section has additional information, including articles about 19th-century and 20th-century African American postal employees.
