About Organization

The Ebony Society of Philatelic Events and Reflections (ESPER) is an international nonprofit philatelic organization founded in 1988 by Dr. Esper G. Hayes. Inspired by a conversation with Olympic legend Jesse Owens, ESPER promotes collecting stamps and philatelic material depicting people and events of the African Diaspora while encouraging greater Black participation in philately. The nearly 300-member organization supports education, scholarships, youth collecting, exhibitions, and presentations about Black history. It publishes the award-winning quarterly newsletter Reflections and maintains extensive educational resources on African Americans depicted on stamps. ESPER’s current president is Howard Ingram, who has served since 2023. The organization is listed under EIN 13-4200544 as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, tax-exempt since July 2014. Both Charity Navigator and ProPublica identify the organization in Durham, North Carolina.

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