U.S. Postal Service
Honoring Rosa Parks

The U.S. Postal Service proudly recognizes Rosa Parks, an extraordinary American activist who became an iconic figure in the Civil Rights movement.  The stamp honoring Rosa Parks is being issued as a Forever Stamp (currently at 46 cents each), which are always equal in value to the current First-Class Mail one-ounce price.

The stamp emphasizes Parks’ quiet determination and her pleasant persona. A 1950s photograph served as the basis for the stamp portrait.

On Dec. 1, 1955, Rosa Parks was arrested in Montgomery, AL, for refusing to give up her seat on a municipal bus to a white man. Her arrest not only sparked a boycott of the Montgomery bus system that lasted longer than a year, it served to ignite a movement that was ultimately successful in inspiring others to similar courageous acts to challenge racial segregation.  In 1956, in a related case, the U.S. Supreme Court affirmed that segregating Montgomery buses was unconstitutional.

The many honors Parks received in her lifetime include the Presidential Medal of Freedom (1966), the Spingarn Medal (1979), and the Congressional Gold Medal (1999). In 1987, she co-founded the Rosa and Raymond Parks Institute for Self Development in Detroit to inspire young people.  Upon her death in 2005, she became the first woman and second African American to lie in honor in the U.S. Capitol Rotunda in Washington, DC.

Customers have 90 days from the official first day of issuance date to obtain first day of sale postmarks on new stamps and stationery items.  Collectors may request a local first day of sale postmark by mail only.  There is no charge for servicing of first day of sale postmarks up to 50 covers.  Mail-in customers must supply a self-addressed envelope with sufficient return postage applied to return the serviced covers.

To obtain the first day of sale postmark, mail stationery items bearing (kind) stamps to:  Customer Relations USPS, 79 Mid Cape Terr Ste 8, Cape Coral, FL  33991.  Please specify which city you are requesting a postmark for—Fort Myers, Cape Coral, Naples, or Sanibel.  All orders must be postmarked by April 30, 2013.