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March on Washington - 50th Anniversary (1963-2013): 50th Anniversary Stamp

The 1963 March on Washington attracted an estimated 250,000 people for a peaceful demonstration to promote Civil Rights and economic equality for African Americans. The Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech highlighted the event.

50th Anniversary Stamp

March on Washington - 50th Anniversary Stamp

The U.S. Postal Service® commemorates the 50th anniversary of the August 28, 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. Designed by art director Antonio Alcalá, this stamp features the work of illustrator Greg Manchess. The 1963 March on Washington stamp is the last of three stamps being issued in 2013 in a civil rights set.

Postal Service Issues March on Washington Stamp

At the First-Day-of-Issuance ceremony at the Newseum in Washington, DC, Rep. John Lewis (D-GA), the last surviving speaker at the March, joined The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights and The Leadership Conference Education Fund President and CEO Wade Henderson; U.S. District Judge Alexander Williams, Jr.; Deputy Postmaster General Ronald A. Stroman and Gabrielle Union to officially dedicate the stamp and underscore the importance of this historic event.

“It is so appropriate and so fitting for the United States Postal Service to issue this Forever stamp on the eve of the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington,” said Lewis. “The march was one of the turning points in the on-going struggle for civil rights and social justice in America. In the years to come, when individuals use this stamp, they will be reminded of the distance we have come and the progress we have made as a nation. And they will be reminded of the civic duty of every American to stand up for what is right in our democracy.”

Unveiling of 1963 March on Washington Forever Stamp

Video of the unveiling of the stamp on August 23, 2013 at the Newseum.

The 1963 March on Washington

The stamp art shows marchers against the background of the Washington Monument, with placards calling for equal rights and jobs for all. Using broad strokes and painting in oil on gessoed illustration board, the artist conveys an impressionistic effect of the historic occasion.