Roy Wilkins Ceremony Programs and Souvenirs

Many postal facilities and other sponsoring organizations are becoming more involved in celebrating the release of new stamp issues.    By documenting the ceremonies, our society is preserving the postal history of the stamp releases and the significance of the topic being commemorated .   Among the issues that have the most dispersed recognition are the black history issues.  The Roy Wilkins stamp issued this year is no exception. 

The First Day Ceremony was held in Minneapolis, MN on January 24, 2001.  The program contained two inserts, the ceremony listing and the song "Lift Every Voice and Sing".

On January 26th the NAACP had a ceremony in Chicago as illustrated below.

The same day there was also a ceremony at the North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University in Greensboro, NC.

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February 6th the USPS and the New York chapter of the NAACP recognized the stamp issuance in New York City.

For February 7th there are two reported programs: LaGrange, IL and New Orleans.

The attractive folder produce in LaGrange.

The card with the supplemental ceremony on reverse produced for the New Orleans ceremony.

Lexington High school in the city in Massachusetts with the same name had their ceremony on February 8th.

Photocopied? program in Lexington, MA

February 13th Mount Vernon had their ceremony.

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology had a ceremony on February 15th.  You would think that with my daughter a senior at MIT at the time, I wouldn't have had to obtain my copy from a third party!  Unfortunately, she was completely unaware of the ceremony.

The same design was used for the MIT program and Roxbury official souvenir

Cambridge, MA had a ceremony on February 17th.  Although MIT is in Cambridge, guess whose daughter was also oblivious about this ceremony.

Cambridge Supplemental Program

Memphis, TN had a ceremony on February 20th.  This program had an insert listing the honored guests. 

Sacramento, CA had a Black History dinner dance where they honored the Wilkins issue.   The program had an insert of the song"Lift Every Voice and Sing". 

Sacramento also produced a souvenir for the stamp issue and Black History Month.

Sacramento's Memento

On February 26th Saint Louis had a ceremony.

Compton, CA had their ceremony on February 27th.  They produced an attractive folder for their program that is available from Society Sales.

The final program I have obtained was for the ceremony in Roxbury, MA.  They also had an official souvenir with the cover as the MIT program illustrated above.

There surely are many more programs out there.  If you have one not illustrated or supplemental programs for other issues please email me at orthok@nac.net.