African Americans on Postage Stamps

Paul Laurence Dunbar

10-cent Paul Laurence Dunbar stamp
The Paul Laurence Dunbar stamp was issued May 1, 1975.

“With it all, I cannot help being overwhelmed by self-doubts. I hope there is something worthy in my writings and not merely the novelty of a black face associated with the power to rhyme that has attracted attention.”
—Paul Laurence Dunbar

Poet and author Paul Laurence Dunbar was so adept at writing verse in African-American dialect that he was called the “poet of his people.” He had such talent and versatility that his brilliant work crossed racial barriers and won him both critical and popular success.

The Black Experience