Richard Allen
Born February 14, 1760, Allen was a preacher, activist, and civic leader. This stamp coincides with the 200th anniversary of Allen's founding of the African Methodist Episcopal Church, one of the most important institutions in African-American life, and his election as its first bishop. The stamp art is a portrait of Allen, a detail from an 1876 print titled "Bishops of the A.M.E. Church." Featuring Allen in the center surrounded by ten other bishops and six historical vignettes, the full print is from the collection of the Library Company of Philadelphia.