Negro Baseball Leagues Illustrator "Thinks It's About Time"

The San Diego Union-Tribune reports Kadir Nelson is glad to see the U.S. Postal Service honor black ballplayers with two new stamps.

Kadir, 35, who illustrated the stamps which will be issued June 4, is quoted in an article by Anne Krueger as saying, “I think it’s about time.”

Kadir also wrote a book, We Are The Ship: The Story of Negro League Baseball that has some more of his paintings of various players and the lives they led in the segregated league which operated from 1920 until about 1960.

According to the article, "Nelson, who has illustrated about two dozen children’s books, also created stamps honoring black writer Richard Wright and Anna Julia Cooper, a prominent black scholar. He has received two Coretta Scott King Illustrator Awards, a Caldecott Honor and an NAACP Image Award for his work."

Shown above, San Diego artist Kadir Nelson (left) signing a copy of his book We Are The Ship: The Story of Negro League Baseball.

To read the entire article, click here.