Dorothy Height gets her own postage stamp

The Black Heritage stamp series is the longest-running commemorative collection in U.S. history since its inception in 1978. The series pays tribute to African-American leaders, sports figures, entertainers and legends who are central to black history. The 40th stamp in the series honors the late civil and women’s rights activist Dorothy Height, and will be distributed by the U.S. Postal Service in 2017.

“Although she rarely gained the recognition granted to her male contemporaries, she became one of the most influential civil rights leaders of the 20th century,” the organization said, according to Ebony.

The stamp features artwork by Thomas Blackshear II and was designed by art director Derry Noyes. It’s based on a 2009 photograph shot by Lateef Mangum.

Height was born in Richmond, Virginia, and raised in Rankin, Pennsylvania. She earned her bachelor’s degree in 1932 and the following year earned a master’s degree in educational psychology. She served as president of the National Council of Negro Women for more than 40 years. She worked in former President Jimmy Carter’s campaign and was a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.

The first stamp in the Black Heritage series featured Harriet Tubman in 1978 followed by Martin Luther King Jr. in 1979. It has also honored Jackie Robinson, Mary McLeod Bethune, Ida B. Wells, W.E.B. Du Bois, Malcolm X, Thurgood Marshall and Madam C.J. Walker.