Good Trouble Earns U.S. Stamp of Approval

Through most of my 27 years in Atlanta, Congressman John Lewis provided elected representation for this blogger's home district. 

As noted in previous posts, I also enjoyed the good fortune of speaking with the Civil Rights icon and "the conscience of the Congress" more than once. 

Sadly, when Lewis died during the early months of the pandemic, a suitable public memorial in Atlanta was not possible. 

On a brighter note, this unfortunate timing finally got corrected July 21, when the U.S. Postal Service hosted the First Day of Issue ceremony for the first-class stamp honoring the legend. Most seem to love the classy design. A recording of the entire ceremony is available via YouTube and at the base of this post. 

During the festivities held in the Martin Luther King Jr. International Chapel at Morehouse College, it was inspiring to be reminded of Lewis' lifetime of service, and to learn a few surprises during remarks from postal officials, two former Atlanta mayors and Lewis' son. 

Golden Globe and EMMY-winning actress Alfre Woodard emceed the event (am I the last to learn she is from Oklahoma like me?), while U.S. Senator Raphael Warnock, who is also senior pastor at Atlanta's Ebenezer Baptist Church, delivered the benediction as fellow U.S. Senator Jon Ossoff, a former intern of Lewis' office, looked on from the front row of the packed venue, which also included the actor Emanuel Lewis. 

Prior to the stamp's ceremonial unveiling, Ronald Stroman of the USPS shared details of its design, which features a photograph Marco Grob snapped for Time magazine in 2013 as the centerpiece of a design by Derry Noyes. 

"Look carefully at how the shadow falls on the right side of [Lewis'] face, illuminating the left side, in a way that seems to take the viewer from darkness into the light," said Stroman. "A fitting tribute to a man who sought to awaken the conscience of a country."

The congressman's son, John-Miles Lewis, and other speakers later revealed that the elder Lewis was an avid stamp collector who deployed both family members and staff to purchase stamps on a regular basis.

Among Lewis' favorite designs: a 2017 Forever stamp commemorating the National Museum of African American History and Culture. A former colleague who knew of the congressman's passion for stamps speculated on how his former boss might react to one featuring his likeness. 

"The release of this stamp is an honor that would overwhelm him and leave him speechless," said Michael Collins, former chief of staff for Lewis. 

After describing his father's love for philately and encouraging the exchange of ideas through letters, John-Miles also relayed family and national lore of the initial mail exchanged by a youthful Lewis and MLK Jr. (also described in Lewis' own words in this video). 

"Two stamps with letters changed history," he said. 

As a philatelist since family and a childhood friend encouraged the hobby in 1986, I never coveted First Day of Issue covers, the envelopes with the special day-of-issue cancellations. 

But I very much enjoyed attending this, my first official stamp-centric ceremony since the U.S. Postal Service in Oklahoma City hosted me for a thank you celebration after U.S. Olympic Festival-'89 (see the fine print of the Daily Oklahoman clip for details). 

Though it was news to me that Lewis enjoyed philately, it's no surprise he found value in the unlimited lessons of the hobby from history and geography to design, creativity, leadership and understanding other perspectives. There's a lot to unpack from each miniature work of art. 

Other fun facts from the Lewis ceremony press kit: 

• The postal service printed 30 million of the stamps in panes of 15
• The image is one of approximately 25 designs approved each year, culled down from "about 30,000 suggestions" received annually for consideration by the Citizens' Stamp Advisory Committee (CSAC)

What's not in the press kit is that the CSAC and its 11 members have yet to respond to my detailed questions about the USPS halting Olympic stamp approvals since 2010. 

But anyone who agrees U.S. Mail should include Olympic stamps again in the future may nominate the topic for consideration by submitting a letter to the committee by mail via the instructions posted at this link. 

While exiting the ceremony to purchase two panes of Lewis stamps, I noticed the neighboring Morehouse track, recently resurfaced and named in honor of Olympic champion Edwin Moses, prompting a query about Lewis' own five-ringed experiences. The only definitive answer located so far was a June 1996 video archived by C-Span in which the congressman welcomed the Olympic flame to the U.S. Capitol steps (toggle to the 20-minute mark for Lewis' remarks).

The ceremony also inspired attendees to make time for personal correspondence and to find unlimited ways to engage in "good trouble" for all their days. If you have not done so already, I strongly recommend your investment of time to read or listen to Lewis' final op-ed published by The New York Times shortly after his death. 

Event photos by Nicholas Wolaver; stamp images via USPS; quote image below via BlackAlliance.org