Robert Hayden

The Robert Hayden Forever stamp was issued by the United States Postal Service in 2012 as part of their Literary Arts series. The stamp features a portrait of Robert Hayden, an American poet and essayist.

Robert Hayden is best known for his poetry which often dealt with themes of African-American identity and history. He served as the first African-American Poet Laureate of the United States from 1976 until his death in 1980. Some of his most famous works include “Those Winter Sundays,” “The Ballad of Nat Turner,” and “Middle Passage.”

The issuance of the Robert Hayden stamp was part of the USPS’s ongoing effort to honor American literary figures who have made significant contributions to the cultural heritage of the United States.