About This Stamp
Martin Luther King, Jr. (1929–1968) is considered one of the most powerful and popular leaders of the African-American Civil Rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s. He spearheaded a massive peace movement through marches, sit-ins, boycotts, and demonstrations that profoundly and positively affected America's attitudes toward race relations. His role as a national leader started when he became actively involved in the fight against segregated bussing as the president of the Montgomery Improvement Association in 1955. He delivered one of his most famous speeches "I Have a Dream" at the 1963 March on Washington for Freedom and Jobs. Due to his leadership role in the Civil Rights movement and his philosophy of peaceful and passive resistance, he was presented the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964.
This stamp is part of the Black Heritage stamp series. Initiated in 1978, the USPS continues to issue a stamp featuring a notable Black American every February in conjunction with Black History Month and at other times during the year.