# 5472 - 2020 First-Class Forever Stamp - Voices of Harlem: Arturo Alfonso Schomburg
US #5472
2020 Arturo Alfonso Schomburg – Voices of the Harlem Renaissance
• One of four stamps issued for the 100th anniversary of the Harlem Renaissance
Stamp Category: Commemorative
Set: Harlem Renaissance
Value: 55¢ First Class Mail Rate (Forever)
First Day of Issue: May 21, 2020
First Day City: New York, New York
Quantity Issued: 16,000,000
Printed by: Banknote Corporation of America
Printing Method: Offset
Format: Panes of 20
Tagging: Phosphor, Block Tag
Why the stamp was issued: To commemorate historian Arturo Alfonso Schomburg and his role in the Harlem Renaissance.
About the stamp design: Pictures a pastel portrait of Arturo Alfonso Schomburg by Gary Kelley.
Special design details: The backgrounds of the stamp includes African-inspired symbols and themes. The selvage of the pane of 20 includes the silhouette of a city with the sun in the middle.
First Day City: The First Day of Issue Ceremony was cancelled due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. The First Day Cancel was from New York, New York, the city known as the very center of the Harlem Renaissance.
About the Harlem Renaissance set: Four stamps issued to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Harlem Renaissance, its contributions to literature and the arts, and the growing influence of Black Americans on culture. Stamps honor Alain Locke, Nella Larsen, Arturo Alfonso Schomburg, and Anne Spencer.
History the stamp represents: Arturo Schomburg was born on January 24, 1874, in Santurce, Puerto Rico, to an African American mother and German father. When Schomburg was in school, a teacher told him African Americans had no history, heroes, or accomplishments. The desire to prove that teacher wrong became a driving force throughout the rest of Schomburg’s life.
Schomburg enrolled in the Instituto Popular in San Juan, where he learned commercial printing. He then attended St. Thomas College in the Danish Virgin Islands and studied Negro Literature before moving to New York City on April 17, 1891.
When Schomburg arrived in Manhattan, he decided to settle down in Harlem. There, he began writing articles about African American and Caribbean history. In 1911, Schomburg and John Edward Bruce founded The Negro Society for Historical Research, bringing together African, West Indian, and African American scholars for the first time.
Schomburg became an important scholar during his lifetime, bringing African American culture and history back from the brink of extinction. He immersed himself in the Harlem Renaissance and held several leadership positions. Schomburg’s research, collecting, and writing of history ensured no one will ever again forget the many accomplishments of African Americans.
US #5472
2020 Arturo Alfonso Schomburg – Voices of the Harlem Renaissance
• One of four stamps issued for the 100th anniversary of the Harlem Renaissance
Stamp Category: Commemorative
Set: Harlem Renaissance
Value: 55¢ First Class Mail Rate (Forever)
First Day of Issue: May 21, 2020
First Day City: New York, New York
Quantity Issued: 16,000,000
Printed by: Banknote Corporation of America
Printing Method: Offset
Format: Panes of 20
Tagging: Phosphor, Block Tag
Why the stamp was issued: To commemorate historian Arturo Alfonso Schomburg and his role in the Harlem Renaissance.
About the stamp design: Pictures a pastel portrait of Arturo Alfonso Schomburg by Gary Kelley.
Special design details: The backgrounds of the stamp includes African-inspired symbols and themes. The selvage of the pane of 20 includes the silhouette of a city with the sun in the middle.
First Day City: The First Day of Issue Ceremony was cancelled due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. The First Day Cancel was from New York, New York, the city known as the very center of the Harlem Renaissance.
About the Harlem Renaissance set: Four stamps issued to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Harlem Renaissance, its contributions to literature and the arts, and the growing influence of Black Americans on culture. Stamps honor Alain Locke, Nella Larsen, Arturo Alfonso Schomburg, and Anne Spencer.
History the stamp represents: Arturo Schomburg was born on January 24, 1874, in Santurce, Puerto Rico, to an African American mother and German father. When Schomburg was in school, a teacher told him African Americans had no history, heroes, or accomplishments. The desire to prove that teacher wrong became a driving force throughout the rest of Schomburg’s life.
Schomburg enrolled in the Instituto Popular in San Juan, where he learned commercial printing. He then attended St. Thomas College in the Danish Virgin Islands and studied Negro Literature before moving to New York City on April 17, 1891.
When Schomburg arrived in Manhattan, he decided to settle down in Harlem. There, he began writing articles about African American and Caribbean history. In 1911, Schomburg and John Edward Bruce founded The Negro Society for Historical Research, bringing together African, West Indian, and African American scholars for the first time.
Schomburg became an important scholar during his lifetime, bringing African American culture and history back from the brink of extinction. He immersed himself in the Harlem Renaissance and held several leadership positions. Schomburg’s research, collecting, and writing of history ensured no one will ever again forget the many accomplishments of African Americans.