Black Heritage: Sojourner Truth

painting of Sojourner Truth

Artist: Jerry Pinkney
Art director: Jack Williams
First day of issue: February 4, 1986

Watercolor and collage on paper

Jerry Pinkney, who created the first Black Heritage stamp in 1978, typically included a second element in his designs to provide historical context. For this stamp commemorating Sojourner Truth, he took a slightly different approach, opting for a powerful double portrait to emphasize Truth’s relentless crusade for women’s rights and the abolition of slavery.

Art of the Stamp