Value:  66¢ 1-ounce First-class Rate (Forever)
First Day of Issue:  January 23, 2023
First Day City:  Lafayette, LA
Printed by:  Banknote Corporation of America
Printing Method:  Offset, Microprint
Format:  Pane of 20

Issued to honor renowned Black writer Ernest J. Gaines for the Black Heritage Series.

The stamp design features an oil painting based on a 2001 photograph by Raoul Benavides.

First Day of Issue Ceremony took place at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette.

The Black Heritage Series, ongoing since 1978, celebrates Black history with annual stamp releases.

Ernest J. Gaines, born in 1933, was a prominent American author, focusing on race and culture in the South.

Gaines earned accolades, including the National Humanities Medal and National Book Critics Circle Award.

Raised on a plantation, Gaines credited his great aunt for nurturing his skills and shaping his path.

He joined the Army, won a creative writing contest, and pursued education after discharge.

Gaines’ debut novel, “Catherine Carmier,” published in 1964, marked the beginning of his celebrated career.

His literary contributions earned him honorary doctorates from 19 universities.