The U.S. Postal Service unveiled its 2026 Black Heritage Stamp honoring Phillis Wheatley during a community celebration at the Joysetta and Julius Pearse African American Museum of Nassau County.

The event, titled “A History of Firsts,” brought together local officials, educators, and community leaders to recognize Wheatley’s legacy as the first author of African descent in the American colonies to publish a book. Students from Hempstead Schools’ Empire After School Program marked the occasion with spoken word, singing, and dance performances celebrating Black culture and creativity.

This year’s ceremony marked the eighth consecutive year of partnership between Hempstead Schools and the USPS Black Heritage Stamp Series, which for 40 years has honored influential African Americans including Harriet Tubman, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Benjamin Banneker, and Lena Horne.

The newly unveiled stamp commemorates Phillis Wheatley, whose groundbreaking literary work remains a cornerstone in American and African American history.