And there’s no better sound to celebrate this month than the music of Allen Toussaint!

Yes, we know that “diversity” is a hot-button word this year—but, honestly, can’t we, as Americans, all agree that it’s wonderful to see that musician Allen Toussaint is the first person to be honored by a U.S. Postal Service stamp under the new Trump presidency?

It’s true—and if you don’t immediately recognize Toussaint’s name—you certainly know his music! 

Lady Marmalade

Right Place, Wrong Time

I Like It Like That

Working in the Coal Mine

Yes We Can Can

Southern Nights

Are you tapping your feet? Maybe singing along? Toussaint was a specialist in musical “hooks” that, once you hear them, you simply can’t forget.

When New Orleans steps out for its Carnival celebration in early March, it will be to the sounds of Mr. Mardi Gras himself—as Toussaint was often affectionately called in his hometown.

Toussaint was born near mid-city New Orleans and grew up on its gumbo of musical genres. He said, “As an early child, I tried to play every kind of music that I heard. I thought everyone was doing that.”

Although this seemed natural to Toussaint, he proved to be anything but.

He became, by turns, pianist, songwriter, producer and recording artist. His music made the movies. Films included “Casino,” “Moulin Rouge,” a TV movie about Louisiana basketball phenom “Pistol” Pete Maravich and “The Wolf of Wall Street.” Toussaint has been recognized by the Blues Foundation and others for collaborations in R&B, rock, gospel, country, jazz, reggae stars, blues, funk and soul.

Toussaint was shaped by the sounds of New Orleans and then shaped them himself.

On the official Allen Toussaint site, he is quoted: “My music is homegrown from the garden of New Orleans. Music is everything to me short of breathing. Music also has a role to lift you up—not to be escapist but to take you out of misery.”

According to the Songwriters Hall of Fame, Toussaint wrote more than 850 songs before his death in 2015.

In New Orleans on Jan. 30, the first day of issue for the stamp, The Allen Toussaint orchestra played.

The Postal Service initiated the Black Heritage stamp series in 1974. 

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Care to read more?

Since our founding in 2007, Front Edge Publishing, has published fair, accurate and balanced books about religious, cultural and racial diversity. We have published a series of books by international peacemaker Daniel L. Buttry that include inspiring stories of men and women (and even some children) who risked standing up for justice on behalf of their neighbors, despite bigotry.

We publish Friendship & Faith, a collection of true stories from women who courageously crossed boundaries of religion, culture and race to discover new friends on the other side of their often difficult journeys.

The Black Knight is the memoir of the oldest living African American graduate of West Point.

The work of Dr. Anni Reinking explores complex issues of multi-racial families as described in her wise and inspiring, Not Just Black and White. That link takes you to our 2019 coverage of the launch of Anni’s book. Then, in 2020, Anni followed up in our magazine by writing a two-part series for us: First, she wrote, Dr. Anni Reinking reminds us it’s ‘Not Just Black and White’. Then, she added a sidebar headlined: Dr. Anni Reinking on ‘What can I do now?’ That story includes a list of practical ideas for readers.

Our most ambitious series is co-produced with the Michigan State University School of Journalism Bias Busters. That series includes a number of books about racial diversity, including one on African Americans and one on the Black Church.