A surprise guest joined a special dedication ceremony for the Lena Horne stamp in Los Angeles last week: Dionne Warwick.
Warwick was being honored at Los Angeles City Hall, where local Postal Service leaders were holding the stamp ceremony. When Warwick learned about the dedication, she asked if she could join the event — a request USPS officials happily obliged.
“Lena Horne was one of my major mentors,” Warwick said. “She referred to me as one of her daughters and I revered that tremendously. In fact, she was one of the only other females that my mother allowed me to refer to as ‘mama.’ It is with a great deal of pride and pleasure that I have been asked to help unveil her stamp.”
The Lena Horne stamp, the 41st entry in the Black Heritage series, honors the iconic performer who also inspired millions of people as a civil rights activist. USPS released the stamp Jan. 30.
“Although her name will always be synonymous with an era of elegance, sophistication and grace, Lena Horne’s life — by her own admittance — was always about one thing: Survival,” Los Angeles Postmaster Joe Zapata told attendees at the Feb. 7 special dedication ceremony.
“In a career that spanned nearly 70 years, she existed and persisted, and along the way, she became a star, an advocate, a leader and a legend.”
Other speakers at the ceremony included Los Angeles District Manager Ken Snavely, Finance Manager Sue Labadie-Taylor and Marketing Manager Beth Rubio.
USPS districts across the nation are also holding special ceremonies to dedicate the stamp, which is available at Post Offices and usps.com.
