Late journalist Gwen Ifill will appear on a U.S. Postal Service Forever Stamp as part of its Black Heritage series.
Ifill, who died of cancer in 2016 at 61, was the first black woman to host a national political talk show after she became the host of PBS’ Washington Week in Review in 1999. She was also the first female anchor on the network’s show NewsHour, where she worked for 17 years.
Gwen Ifill’s cousin, Sherrilyn Ifill, praised the news on Twitter, writing, “I literally cannot catch my breath! Oh, my beloved Uncle & Aunt, look what your journey has wrought. Gwen is deserving of every honor for her contributions to this country. But this one is special.”
During her time as a journalist, Ifill moderated two vice-presidential debates and covered eight presidential campaigns. Prior to joining PBS, she worked for the Baltimore Evening Sun, the Washington Post, the New York Times, and NBC News.
Ifill is also the author of the best-selling book, The Breakthrough: Politics and Race in the Age of Obama.
Simmons University in Boston, her alma mater, launched the Gwen Ifill College of Media, Arts and Humanities in her honor.
Her stamp, set to debut in 2020, will be the 43rd stamp in the USPS Black Heritage series. The photo on the stamp was taken by Robert Severi in 2008.
