The U.S. Postal Service honored singer Marian Anderson with the 28th collectible postage stamp in its popular Black Heritage commemorative stamps series.

On 27 January, 2005, the U.S. Postal Service added another collectible postage stamp to its Black Heritage commemorative stamps series with their dedication of the 37-cent Marian Anderson stamp. Anderson, a world-famous singer, appears on the 28th stamp in the popular Black Heritage stamp series.

The Early Life of Marian Anderson

According to Britannica.com, Marian Anderson was born on 27 February, 1897 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

arian received her earliest vocal training in the Union Baptist Church, where see sang parts written for a wide range of singing voices. Members of the church congregation raised money to send her to musical school for a year, where her instructor was so impressed with her talent that he gave her an additional year of lessons for free.

In 1925, Anderson entered a signing contest in New York City with the New York Philharmonic. Her victory launched her career as a contralto singer.
The Singing Career of Marian Anderson

Anderson next began appearing with the Philadelphia Symphony and touring African-American college campuses. In 1930, she appeared in Berlin at the start of the first of several successful European tours. Among her stops were appearances before the monarchs of Sweden, Norway, Denmark, and England

In 1939, Anderson attempted to rent Constitution Hall in Washington, D.C. for a concert performance, but was refused because of her race. Instead, she appeared at the Lincoln Memorial on Easter Sunday before a crowd of 75,000. In 1957, Anderson toured 12 separate nations in a tour sponsored by the Department of State, the American National Theatre and Academy, and the Edward R. Murrow television series See It Now. Anderson made farewell tours in 1964–65.

Anderson was awarded the National Medal of Arts in 1986 and a Grammy Award for Lifetime Achievement in 1991.

Marian Anderson died on 8 April, 1993 in Portland, Oregon.

USPS Marian Anderson Black Heritage Stamp

As seen in USA Philatelic: Beyond the Perf, Issue 016, with the Marian Anderson issue, the USPS at last turned its back on the unpopular photographic designs for the Black Heritage series. With the Anderson stamp, the USPS resumed color portraits for the Black Heritage series. Albert Stark created the portrait for the Anderson stamp.