Postage stamp will honor Elijah Lovejoy

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WASHINGTON, D.C. — In recognition of February being Black History Month, Sen. Roland Burris and Rep. Jerry Costello announced Tuesday the introduction of a congressional resolution to issue a commemorative postage stamp honoring the life and work of journalist and newspaper editor Elijah Parish Lovejoy, one of the most outspoken anti-slavery advocates in Illinois’ history.

Lovejoy was the editor of the St. Louis Observer, where he composed editorials which vehemently denounced slavery and supported emancipation. Lovejoy was forced out of St. Louis by opponents of the abolitionist movement and subsequently settled in Alton, where he became the editor of the Alton Observer. On three separate occasions, Lovejoy’s printing press was destroyed by pro-slavery groups in order to prevent the publishing of his abolitionist viewpoints. On Nov. 7, 1837, Lovejoy was murdered in Alton by a pro-slavery mob while defending his printing press, the machine that became a symbol for the abolitionist movement in Illinois and across the nation. Elijah Lovejoy’s death fortified abolitionist sentiment and is acknowledged as one of the critical events that led to the Civil War. The resolution both honors Lovejoy’s life as a key figure in the U.S. abolitionist movement, and commemorates the 175th anniversary of his death.

The Senate Resolution is co-sponsored by Sen. Richard Durbin.

“Elijah Lovejoy was not only a local abolitionist, but a powerful voice and transformative figure for Illinois and for America,” Burris said in a press release. “Elijah Lovejoy sacrificed his life fighting for the freedom and dignity of slaves all across the nation, and this resolution is an important step toward honoring that legacy and remembering our collective history.”

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