St. John's 
Canada Post today released a Black History Month stamp in Chatham, Ontario, celebrating Mary Ann Shadd, a pioneering figure in the fight for Black and women’s rights.
Adrienne Shadd, Marishana Mabusela, Brenda Shadd and Canada Post Director of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, Brandy Ryan
Photo credit: Carlos Osorio (CNW Group/Canada Post)
Born in 1823 in Delaware, Shadd was an educator, abolitionist, newspaper publisher, and lawyer. She moved to Windsor, Ontario, in 1851, where she opened an integrated school and assisted families escaping slavery in the U.S.
In 1853, Shadd founded The Provincial Freeman, becoming North America’s first Black woman and Canada’s first female newspaper editor and publisher. Initially anonymous to circumvent gender biases, she later revealed her identity in 1854. The newspaper, based in Windsor, Toronto, and Chatham, was an anti-slavery publication advocating for Black advancement and portraying Canada as a haven for Black people.
Shadd returned to the U.S. in 1863, where she became the second Black American woman to earn a law degree and a prominent suffragist. Her achievements extended her family’s legacy of activism, as her father, Abraham Doras Shadd, was involved in the Underground Railroad and appeared on Canada Post’s first Black History Month stamp in 2009. This marks a unique occasion where a father and daughter have been individually featured on Canadian stamps.
The stamp, created by Underline Studio with an illustration by Natasha Cunningham, features the only known photo of Shadd and a rendition of The Provincial Freeman’s masthead in both official languages. The design includes black-eyed Susans, symbolizing resilience and justice, printed by Colour Innovations.
FOR COLLECTORS
Credit: Canada Post
The stamp collection comprises a booklet of six Permanent domestic rate stamps and an Official First Day Cover, with Chatham, Ontario, as the cancel site, honouring Shadd’s significant time there.
Mary Ann Shadd: Permanent™ domestic rate stamps – booklet of 6 — $5.52
Mary Ann Shadd: Official First Day Cover — $1.92
