AUSTIN – Each year, thousands of travelers begin and end their trips at the Barbara Jordan Terminal at Austin-Berstrom International Airport, hundreds of children attend class each day at Barbara Jordan Elementary School in Central East Austin, and tens of thousands of students walk to class on the University of Texas campus past this memorial to Barbara Jordan.
In 2001, the late Houston area lawmaker will be honored on a first class stamp distributed by the United States Postal Service.
The stamp is part of the post office’s black heritage series of stamps.
Jordan was the first black woman elected to the Texas Senate after reconstruction. She was also the first black woman elected to Congress from a southern state.
“Being from Austin, we like people weird, and I always thought she was something of a character,” said postal customer Linda Benson.
The Postal Service says it will release all of the commemorative stamps as Forever stamps, meaning you buy them at the current rate, and you will be able to use them even if the rate goes up in the future.
Other postal customers at in South Austin were also glad to hear about the other Texan who got a nod from the postal service: Selena Quintanilla-Pérez.
The slain Tejano singing star will be featured as part of a series of Latin music legends.
Better known as simply Selena, she introduced Tejano music to many Anglo Americans. She was murdered in Corpus Christi in 1995.
“At some level, she represents a new America, this is who we are. It’s not the future anymore, it’s who we are and what we are,” said Postal Custom John Wei.
The U.S. Postal Service will deliver that message beginning in the new year.
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Selena Queen of Tejano 