United States Postal Service unveils new Kwanzaa stamp

The United States Postal Service has unveiled a new Kwanzaa stamp, continuing a tradition of celebrating the pan-African holiday. The stamp was dedicated at the 111th annual conference of the Association for the Study of African American Life and History.

Kwanzaa, founded in the United States in 1966 by Maulana Karenga, is observed annually from December 26 to January 1. The holiday is designed to unify African Americans through the celebration of communal traditions and seven core principles known as the Nguzo Saba: unity, self-determination, collective work and responsibility, cooperative economics, purpose, creativity, and faith.

The first Kwanzaa stamp was released in 1997, and the USPS has issued a new design every two years since 2016. Norfolk Postmaster Matthew Toman, who served as the dedicating official, described the new design as an affirmation of African American culture.