NEW YORK (AP) — The U.S. Postal Service is honoring tennis champion and pioneer Althea Gibson with a commemorative stamp in its Black Heritage series.
The stamp will be available around the United States on Friday.
Gibson broke tennis’ color barrier in the 1950s as the first black entrant and champion at Wimbledon and the U.S. national tournament. She died in 2003 at age 76.
In 1957 and 1958, she won Wimbledon and the U.S. Championships, now called the U.S. Open.
Gibson is the first female athlete with a stamp in the Postal Service’s Black Heritage series.