With home schooling prevalent during the pandemic, ESPER’s New Jersey chapter director Della Moses Walker used stamps to get involved with her grandchildren’s education. The students selected two subjects from a list of African Americans on stamps and presented Black History reports via FaceTime. Della was so elated with the presentations that she made special awards from “Grandma’s FaceTime Academy” relating to her grands’ — Christopher, Jr., Jaha, and Alex — subjects, framed certificates of excellence awarded for “outstanding research and oral presen- tations” during the 2020 Corona Virus COVID-19 Pandemic. Each certificate identified the subjects and a related stamp image as well as a printed stamp authentication of the featured stamps to go on the back of the awards. What a creative grandma!

 

Christopher, Jr. reported on the Honorable Hiram Rhodes Revels (1827-1901), the first Black U. S. Senator to serve on “Capitol Hill” and used the related 1985 22¢ Flag Over Capitol Dome stamp. Christopher, Jr. also reported on the Greensboro Lunch Counter Sit-in (1960) and used the 37¢ stamp from the To Form a More Perfect Union issues.

Jaha reported on jazz vocalist, composer, and musician Sarah Vaughan (1924-1990) using her (2016) stamp from the Music Icons series and on the Little Rock Nine (1957) from the To Form a More Perfect Union stamps.

Alex did his presentation on artist Jacob Lawrence (1917-2000) using the 1964 Civil Rights Act stamp from the To Form a More Perfect Union issues. The stamp features Lawrence’s Dixie Café painting. Alex also used the 2019 stamp by artist Floyd Cooper to showcase the cultural celebration, Kwanzaa.

 

Della also made a certificate for SUPER Dad, Christopher Sr., with home school teacher wording and three special stamps: We Love You Dad, Learning Never Ends, and Honoring Teachers of America.

Della says, “Thanks again, as ESPER provides inspiration for positive and meaningful experiences during this PANDEMIC