Browse Black Heritage series stamps and other USPS Forever issues honoring African American figures, history and culture. The current store selection spans visual art, literature, law, music and early American poetry.
Black Heritage and African American Forever Stamps
Edmonia Lewis Black Heritage Forever Stamps
The 2022 Black Heritage issue honors the pioneering sculptor.
USPS has also honored influential Black writers outside the numbered Black Heritage series. The 2015 Maya Angelou Forever stamp guide explains its portrait, pane format and the attribution note attached to the quotation printed on the issue.
Ernest J. Gaines Black Heritage Forever Stamps
The 2023 Black Heritage issue honors the Louisiana author.
Constance Baker Motley Black Heritage Forever Stamps
The 2024 issue honors the civil-rights lawyer and federal judge.
Allen Toussaint Black Heritage Forever Stamps
The 2025 issue honors the New Orleans musician, songwriter and producer.
Phillis Wheatley Black Heritage Forever Stamps
The 2026 issue honors the influential early American poet.
Toni Morrison Forever Stamps
A separate 2023 literary issue honoring the Nobel Prize-winning author.
For a related civil-rights portrait issue, view the 2023 John Lewis Forever stamps and compare their USPS pane format with the retailer quantity.
Choose by Person and Subject
| Subject | Issue | Field |
|---|---|---|
| Edmonia Lewis | Black Heritage, 2022 | Sculpture and visual art |
| Ernest J. Gaines | Black Heritage, 2023 | Literature |
| Constance Baker Motley | Black Heritage, 2024 | Civil rights and law |
| Allen Toussaint | Black Heritage, 2025 | Music |
| Phillis Wheatley | Black Heritage, 2026 | Poetry and early American history |
| Toni Morrison | Separate commemorative issue, 2023 | Literature |
Black Heritage Series vs. Related Issues
Black Heritage is a named USPS series with one honoree added in each annual issue. A stamp can honor an African American person or cultural subject without being part of that named series. This page includes both, but labels the distinction so shoppers can choose the right issue.
How to Compare Products
- Start with the person, year and official issue name.
- Check the live listing’s stamp count and package format.
- Use the product image to confirm the intended portrait and issue.
- Compare current inventory and price only after matching the exact quantity.
Postage Use
The products shown here are ordinary Forever issues. A genuine unused stamp covers an eligible domestic First-Class Mail one-ounce stamped letter at the current ordinary Forever rate. A heavier, square, rigid, oversized or international mailpiece can require additional postage. Historical significance and collectible interest do not change the underlying postage service.
For an earlier modern series entry, read the 2020 Gwen Ifill Forever stamp guide, including its design, pane format and postal use.
Official Series Reference
USPS maintains an official list of African American stamp subjects. Use the year and issue name to distinguish Black Heritage series entries from other commemorative stamps and from older fixed-denomination issues.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are all African American subject stamps part of the Black Heritage series?
No. Black Heritage is a named annual series. Toni Morrison and other related commemorative subjects can fit this collection without being Black Heritage entries.
Are every year’s Black Heritage stamps Forever stamps?
No. The series began before Forever stamps existed, so older issues can have printed denominations. Use the Black Heritage year-by-year denomination table to identify fixed-value and Forever issues.
Can these stamps be used on ordinary letters?
Yes, when they are genuine unused ordinary Forever stamps and the finished mailpiece qualifies for the domestic one-ounce letter rate.
Does the portrait change postage value?
No. The issue’s postage category and the finished mailpiece determine postal use, not the honoree or artwork.
Explore more people on Forever stamps, commemorative Forever stamps, or the stamp category directory.
Catalog checked August 31, 2026. Product price and availability are controlled by each live listing.