Monday, February 9, 2026
Watch a video about the Year of the Horse stamp
USPS celebrates the next animal in its Lunar New Year series
The Postal Service has released a new video showcasing its Year of the Horse stamp.
The Forever stamp celebrates the Lunar New Year, an important holiday in many Asian cultures and the United States, and depicts the next animal in the Chinese zodiac.
The 2 1/2-minute video features Postmaster General David Steiner and Luis Chen, president of the Asian Pacific American Heritage Association’s board of directors.
“What strikes me most about the occasion is the importance of connection. That’s because fostering connection is at the very heart of what we do at the Postal Service,” Steiner says in the video.
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Heroes
She saw a child run across a busy road
This letter carrier reunited a lost boy with his family
Letter Carrier Kimberly Hulett was delivering mail in Cheektowaga, NY, recently when she saw a boy run across a busy road.
The Postal Service employee pulled over and tried talking to the boy but realized he was autistic and nonverbal.
Hulett searched for the boy’s family, then called 911.
Because it was hot outside, Hulett kept him cool under a tree next to her delivery vehicle while they waited for the police.
A family member who was looking frantically for the boy soon came by. Hulett reunited them and continued on her route.
Employees featured in “Heroes” receive letters of commendation through the Postmaster General Heroes’ Program. The nomination form is available on Blue.
Celebrating Black History Month
The annual commemoration traces its roots to 1926
The Postal Service is observing Black History Month, which began Sunday, 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 to U.S. culture and history. The observance was expanded to a full month in 1976.
Since 1978, USPS has commemorated the occasion by releasing a Black Heritage stamp. This year’s stamp honors Phillis Wheatley, the first author of African descent (circa 1753-1784) to publish a book in the American Colonies.
African Americans have made important contributions to the Postal Service throughout its history.
In the early 20th century, many African Americans found steady, valuable jobs in Post Offices.
In the 1960s, the number of Black 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.
The usps.com postal history section has additional information, including articles about 19th-century and 20th-century African American postal employees.
Week in Review
Here’s what Link covered Feb. 1-7
The latest Lunar New Year stamp and postmark clarification made news
Last week, Link spotlighted Year of the Horse, the latest release in the Postal Service’s Lunar New Year stamp series.
“What strikes me most about Lunar New Year is the importance of connection. And that’s because fostering connection is at the very heart of what we do,” said Postmaster General David Steiner, who spoke at the stamp’s dedication ceremony at the Chinese Community Center in Houston.
In other philatelic news, we shared a new USPS video on Phillis Wheatley, the 49th honoree in the Black Heritage series, and offered a look at the new Stamps Forever website series “Celebrating Stamp Encore.” The series’ first installment explores Disney releases in last summer’s contest.
Link also updated readers on USPS efforts to clarify misconceptions surrounding postmarks; the grand opening of the Oxnard, CA, Sorting and Delivery Center; the retirement of Thomas J. Marshall as USPS general counsel and the appointment of Keith Weidner to replace him; and the latest issue of The Eagle magazine; and the observance of Black History Month.
We reminded readers about chemical reporting requirements at some facilities, the hotline number to call during emergencies, and provided an update on the organization’s first-quarter financials.
“On the Job” highlighted LaShanda Jones, a retail clerk who works at a Post Office that straddles Texas and Arkansas; “People” explored postal legacies in Illinois and Idaho; and a feature spotlighted an elementary school teacher outside Miami who uses her love of the NFL to teach students the value of mail.
Finally, “Heroes” told the story of Kimberly Hulett, a Cheektowaga, NY, letter carrier who saw a young boy run across a busy road. She pulled over and tried to talk with him but realized he was nonverbal and autistic. She searched for the family and called 911. The boy was reunited with a relative who was frantically looking for him.
Email us your feedback. Your comments could be included in our “Mail” column.
PMG’s board remarks available
The Postal Service has released Postmaster General David Steiner’s remarks at the USPS Board of Governors’ Feb. 5 meeting.
The topics include the organization’s holiday season service and financial performance, recent last-mile bid solicitation efforts and operational improvements.
The message is available on the USPS Newsroom website.
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Watch a video about the Year of the Horse stamp
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Heroes
She saw a child run across a busy road
This letter carrier reunited a lost boy with his family
-
Celebrating Black History Month
The annual commemoration traces its roots to 1926
-
Week in Review
Here’s what Link covered Feb. 1-7
The latest Lunar New Year stamp and postmark clarification made news
-
Brief
PMG’s board remarks available