Founded 1988
" An International Stamp Society, honoring the African Diaspora and African Americans on stamps"
Our 38th Year
ESPER at Celebrating 250 Years of the Declaration of Independence
July 4th in Philadelphia
Congratulations ESPER Members
Stamp Ceremonies and Unveilings 2026
A look at Jazz Musicians Through Covers by Don Neal
ESPER member James Joppy
Black Histroy Month Exhibit
Philately and Music: Black Musicians on Postage Stamps
with Della Moses Walker and Ashley Turnbull​
Presented by the British Empire Study Group
Shenango Depot Riot and Massacre
What Was “Jim Crow’s” Army Concealing at
Pennsylvania’s Shenango Depot During World War II?
The photo above shows four of the six Black MPs honored for staying on duty during the riots. However, what remains unknown is, “What was the Army trying to conceal in the background?”
By Hal Klein
ESPER #8150
In an era when Black history faces erasure, it’s important to remember how common “Jim Crow” segregation practices were in the US Armed Forces. Base commanders were mostly from the South. The camps had separate, but not equal, work details, barracks, PXs, and facilities for eating and entertainment.
In 1941, Shenango started as a troop replacement depot but ended with the largely unknown Shenango Depot Riot and Massacre and the base having its name changed. Secrecy around the events of July 11, 1943, continues today. No reporters were allowed on base after the riot began, so we only rely on the Army’s official cover-up and firsthand stories from a White soldier and a Black soldier.
They don’t match.
(Click Image for Article)
