The Postal Service will release its latest Forever stamp, Title IX, on March 3.
Title IX is the civil rights law that prohibits discrimination based on sex in any educational program receiving federal funds. The law turns 50 this year.
The stamp, which is being released during Women’s History Month, underscores the law’s profound effect on sports and athletics programs for girls and young women.
Girls sports were woefully underfunded before the law’s passage and girls made up less than 10 percent of participants in high school athletics.
Each of the designs in the set of four stamps features the silhouetted facial profile of a young female athlete representing one of four disciplines: running, swimming, gymnastics or soccer.
“Title IX” is written in stark white on the athletes’ cheeks.
Artist Melinda Beck designed the digitally illustrated stamps, and Derry Noyes was art director.
The stamps come in sheets of 20 and can be purchased at Post Offices and usps.com.