USPS Phillis Wheatley Black Heritage Forever Stamps Sheet of 20

Official 2026 USPS Forever Stamp Sheet: Celebrating Phillis Wheatley

The 49th stamp in the Black Heritage series honors poet Phillis Wheatley (ca. 1753–1784), the first author of African descent in the American Colonies to publish a book. She is often called the “Mother of African American Literature.”

The stamp features a black-and-white ink-on-paper portrait by artist Kerry James Marshall, showing Wheatley writing with a quill.

Issued January 29, 2026 in Boston, Massachusetts.
Forever stamps – always valid for the current First-Class Mail 1-ounce rate.