Late poet, author and civil rights activist Maya Angelou is the new face for a limited edition U.S. Postal Service stamp — the only problem is that the quote displayed isn't hers.
Among her many unforgettable quotes, her most recognized work is her 1969 memoir "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings" which featured ground breaking stories of racism and rape during segregation.
The honorary stamp is adorned with the quote "A bird doesn't sing because it has an answer, it sings because it has a song," which according to CNN, is a quote from Joan Walsh Anglund's 1967 book, "Cup of Tea." The pronouns in Anglunds quote reads "he" in place of "it," making the quote just slightly different from the quote highly associated with Angelou. At 86 years old, Angelou passed away in the comfort of her home on May 28 of last year.
"I love her and all she's done, and I also love my own private thinking that also comes to the public because it comes from what I've been thinking and how I've been feeling," Anglund said, according to CNN.
The Warner Theater in Washington, D.C. housed the stamp unveiling ceremony with guests including Angelou's son, Guy Johnson, friend and media mogul Oprah Winfrey, U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder, First Lady Michelle Obama and poet Sonia Sanchez.
"Today, Dr. Angelou receives the Postal Service's highest honor, the commemoration of her image on a United States postage stamp and yet her life, so meaningful and varied, can hardly be contained within the four corners of a stamp," Postmaster General Megan Brennan said, as The Washington Post notes.
The Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery is currently displaying the Angelou stamp portrait by Atlanta artist Ross Rossin and will continue to do so until Nov. 1.
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