SHANEEN KNOWS

  Fans of the iconic Lena Horne will soon be able to see her face on postage stamps everywhere. In 2018, the United States Postal Service will honor the legendary singer, actress, and civil rights activist with her very own postage stamp in the Black Heritage Series.   The USPS Black Heritage series started in 1978 to celebrate the accomplishments of Black Americans and their vital role in U.S. history. The first stamp in the Black Heritage series featured Harriet Tubman (1820 - 1913) and next year, Lena Horne (1917 - 2010) will mark the 41st issuance of the Black Heritage series stamp. Other notable Black history makers who have been featured on the Black Heritage series stamp include Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (1929 -1968), Malcolm X (1925 - 1965), John H. Johnson (1918 - 2005), Shirley Chisholm (1924 - 2005), Jean Baptiste Pointe Du Sable (1745 - 1818), and last year's honoree Dorothy Height (1912 - 2010). I remember one of my favorite artists, Mr. Chuck D of Publ

Before there was D'Jango, there was Harriet Tubman, a 5'2 pint-sized powerhouse also known as the "Conductor" for the Underground Railroad. Harriett Tubman, born Araminta Harriet Ross in 1820 was no stranger to slavery, she was born into it. When she was just a young girl she had a bad accident that caused a head injury. She was hit with a heavy piece of metal after a slave master tried to throw the metal at another slave and hit her instead. Because of this she suffered from seizures, headaches and narcoleptic attacks throughout her life. She lived during a time when women didn't play much of a role, they just cooked and cleaned. Harriet did her fair share of the required duties but she had a bigger role in mind, she wanted to be free. Around 1844, she got married to a free Black man, John Tubman and soon changed her name from Araminta to Harriet. Not much is known about him or their union but the marriage was complicated due to her slave status. A ma