Ruben Salazar honored on stamp

The Los Angeles Times reports that, "In honor of trailblazing newsman Ruben Salazar's relentless efforts to chronicle the complexity of race relations in Los Angeles, the U.S. Postal Service in 2008 will issue a commemorative stamp of the former Los Angeles Times reporter and columnist.

Postmaster Gen. John E. Potter is quoted as saying, "He was a groundbreaker for Latinos in this country, but his work spoke to all Americans. By giving voice to those who didn't have one, Ruben Salazar worked to improve life for everybody. His reporting of the Latino experience in this country set a standard that's rarely met even today."

According to the paper, "Some Mexican Americans called him "la voz de la Raza", the voice of the people, and his often blunt columns spoke to the desires and frustrations of a community."

Salazar was one of three people killed during a bloody Vietnam War protest held in East Los Angeles on Aug. 29, 1970. He was 42.

In an interview, Lisa Salazar Johnson, 46, one of Salazar's three children, said, "When the Postal Service sent me a copy of the color image they planned to use, I cried. To see the '41 cents' on a real live U.S. stamp with Dad's picture on it made me utterly proud of his accomplishments."

The Salazar commemorative will be among five stamps honoring U.S. journalists to be officially unveiled in Washington on Oct. 5.

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