Phillis Wheatley Forever Stamp 2026
The U.S. Postal Service honors poet Phillis Wheatley (1753 - 1784) with the 49th stamp in the Black Heritage series, celebrating the life and literary achievements of the first published author of African descent in the American colonies. Through her poetry, Wheatley broke extraordinary barriers, leaving behind a legacy that continues to influence writers, historians, and generations of readers.
Born in West Africa, Wheatley was brought to Boston as a child aboard a slave ship and sold into slavery to merchant John Wheatley. Recognizing her intellectual abilities, the Wheatley family educated her in their household, providing her with opportunities that were extremely rare for an enslaved person in colonial America. By the age of 11, she had begun writing poetry, demonstrating an exceptional command of language and literary forms.
In 1773, Wheatley published *Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral*, a groundbreaking collection that established her as the first African-born writer in the colonies to publish a book. Her work included a wide range of poetic styles, from religious hymns and elegies to philosophical reflections and narrative poems. Her writing attracted attention on both sides of the Atlantic and offered thoughtful observations about faith, freedom, and the society in which she lived.
The stamp artwork features a black-and-white ink portrait of Wheatley created by artist Kerry James Marshall. Rather than depicting her as a young author at the time of her first publication, Marshall imagines Wheatley later in life while she works on a second, unpublished collection of poems. The portrait draws inspiration from the engraved image that appeared as the frontispiece of her 1773 book, the only known portrait created during her lifetime.
While the original engraving presents Wheatley in profile, Marshall portrays her facing directly toward the viewer, wearing similar clothing and positioned at a comparable writing desk. The artist's use of detailed ink lines echoes the style of the historic engraving while presenting Wheatley in a new way as confident, determined, and liberated.
Wheatley's life and writing hold particular significance as the nation reflects on the Revolutionary era during the 250th anniversary celebrations of American independence. Freed from slavery in 1773, Wheatley later wrote poems expressing support for the American Revolution. In 1775, while George Washington was stationed near British-occupied Boston, she sent him an ode that praised his leadership and suggested that the world was watching to see whether a new chapter in human history might emerge. Washington responded by recognizing her poetic ability and inviting her to visit him if she came near his headquarters.
Although Wheatley continued writing throughout her life, she was unable to publish a second volume of poetry before her death in her early thirties. Nevertheless, her work remained influential, with her first book being reprinted multiple times. Before the Civil War, abolitionists used her writings as evidence against the injustice of slavery and as a powerful affirmation of the intellectual and creative achievements of people of African descent.
Today, Wheatley's legacy remains deeply respected. Schools, libraries, community institutions, and university buildings across the country carry her name, and her story has inspired countless books and educational efforts. In 2003, a statue honoring Wheatley became part of the Boston Women's Memorial, further recognizing the poet often described as the mother of African American literature.
The Phillis Wheatley stamp is issued as a Forever stamp, meaning it will always retain the same value as the current First-Class Mail one-ounce postage rate.
