Oswald Garrison Villard and Daisy Gatson Bates (Sheet of six stamps sold together)

Oswald Garrison Villard and Daisy Gatson Bates are two prominent figures in the civil rights movement who were honored with a joint stamp issued by the US Postal Service in 2009.

Oswald Garrison Villard was a journalist, editor, and civil rights activist who dedicated his life to promoting social justice and equality. He was the grandson of William Lloyd Garrison, one of the most prominent abolitionists in the US. Villard used his platform as the owner and editor of The Nation magazine to advocate for the rights of African Americans and other marginalized groups. He also played a key role in the founding of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and served as its president from 1911 to 1914.

Daisy Gatson Bates was a civil rights activist and journalist who played a pivotal role in the Little Rock Nine, a group of nine African American students who enrolled in Little Rock Central High School in 1957, despite violent opposition from segregationists. Bates, who was president of the Arkansas NAACP at the time, worked tirelessly to ensure the safety of the students and to challenge the racist policies of the school district. Her efforts helped to bring about the desegregation of public schools in Arkansas and inspired a generation of civil rights activists.