Simmons is many things… but did you ever think it could be a postal station?
On January 30, the U.S. Postal Service launched the Gwen Ifill Forever Stamp as a part of their Black Heritage series. As a part of the upcoming celebration on Tuesday, February 4, Simmons University will be designated as the official “Gwen Ifill Station."
Anyone sending mail from the Gwen Ifill Station at Simmons University on Feb. 4 will have the opportunity to drop in and have the special Gwen Ifill Station pictorial postmark put on it. Pictorial postmarks are event postmarks offered by the Postal Service to commemorate local community events, such as fairs, conventions, or other types of local celebrations.
Simmons’ celebration will be centered around honor and action inspired by Gwen Ifill’s life and work. At the event, attendees will have the opportunity to participate in a “Reason to Write” session where they can write messages to friends, family, alumnae, or anyone in the Simmons community. Stamps and postcards will be provided.
Stamps are now available for purchase through USPS. The stamp was officially introduced at a USPS celebration at the Metropolitan African Methodist Episcopal Church in Washington DC on January 30, where Ifill used to attend church. Brian Norman, the Dean of the Gwen Ifill College of Media Arts and Humanities, and Donna Stewartson, Ifill College Director of Operations, attended the event.
“The stamp celebration at Gwen’s AME church in Washington DC was such a special moment of a community gathering to lift up a beloved friend, colleague, family member, mentor, and trailblazer," said Dean Norman. "The shared love in the room was palpable and as genuine as the smile that beamed above the gathered crowd when the stamp was unveiled. It was a moment to celebrate the values that Gwen stands for and that democracies need: integrity, excellence, a commitment to truth, and asking the hard questions."
To use the Gwen Ifill Station pictorial postmark outside of the February 4 celebration, customers can submit requests to the post office up to 30 days after the event.