by Ashley Rhame
The United States Postal Service (USPS) came together Sunday, Feb. 18, for the 2018 Black History Celebration. The Postal System chose to honor the legendary performer and civil rights activist Lena Horne for its 41st Black Heritage stamp series. The stamp art features a photograph of Horne taken by Christian Steiner in the 1980’s which was colorized using royal blue, a color she typically wore. The stamp is being published as a ‘Forever’ stamp and will always be equal in value to the current first class stamp.
Forever in value describes Lena Horne as she was a pioneer on several levels for women of color. She started her career as a singer performing with some of the greatest in the business during the 30’s and 40’s. Horne soon became an actress with her debut in ‘Panama Hattie’ (Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer 1942) in which she sang the classic ‘Stormy Weather.’ Shortly thereafter she appeared in the ultra Black classic production of “Cabin in the Sky,” in 1943.
As an aspiring Black performer, she refused to play subservient or roles typically given to Blacks during that time. She was the first African American woman to be nominated for a Tony Award for best actress in a musical for her role in the play, Calypso. She also was an activist with the NAACP and was in the March on Washington with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Horne passed away in 2010 at age 92.
This year’s celebration was held at Lucy Addison Middle School. School principal Robert Johnson extended a warm welcome to the sizable crowd and spoke of the school’s heritage and the rich history regarding Addisonians of the past. Once an all-Black high school, Addison was the perfect setting for the Black History Celebration.
As part of the celebration the Lucy Addison Step Team and orchestra performed in addition to a fashion show and several inspiring vocalists. The program also honored African-American Veterans in times of war and peace. Daryl Schultz, US Air Force Staff Sergeant spoke about what he brought from his military experience into his civilian life. One lesson was, “understanding the power of teamwork.”
“In any organization–to be successful–to be able to take the job you do as a piece of the big picture for the mission, is crucial,” said Schultz.
This year’s honored speaker was Nathaniel Bishop, president of Jefferson College of Health Sciences who spoke of his experience as an African American growing up in Roanoke and how his childhood shaped his future. He spoke about race relations with police and how his decision to “walk in the light of created altruism” lead him to apply to the police department where he soon saw himself moving up in ranks.
However, due to life changes, his career path transitioned and he was offered a chance to move into healthcare. After several opportunities, he found himself working at Burrell Hospital and then Carilion Roanoke Memorial. Bishop would finally settle into his current role as president of Jefferson College of Health Sciences. He closed his comments with a call for this generation “to act today in our time…to pave the way of possibility for those who will come after us.”
