Harriet’s portrait on the bill (fingers crossed)
Polling reveals that abolitionist Harriet Tubman would be a favorite if we had a woman on a 20-dollar bill. The vote is unofficial, but an online campaign spearheaded by the group Women on 20s resulted in over 600,000 votes for possibilities if we did have a woman on currency. In the final round of voting, 118,328 people voted for Tubman.
Although there have been women on currency before, (for example, the Susan B. Anthony $1 coin), it would be a great statement to have that 20-dollar bill bearing a significant female figure. It would also be an acknowledgment of respect from our country.
Women On 20s is a non-profit, grassroots organization which aims to compel historic change by convincing President Obama that “now is the time to put a woman’s face on our paper currency.”
Susan B. Anthony coin
The organization began the competition to commemorate the 100th anniversary of women earning the right to vote in 1920. “It follows that women should be honored with representation and memorialization on our nation’s banknotes; and specifically the $20 banknote as part of the commemoration of this Centennial,” says the petition.
The current leader in votes is Harriet Tubman. She is recognized for her contributions to the Underground Railroad, a secret network of routes which helped slaves escape from the south to the north. She helped a countless amount of slaves escape and she continued to work as an activist until she died in 1913.
The other figures included in the unofficial voting were Eleanor Roosevelt, the former first lady and a infamous humanitarian; Wilma Mankiller, the first woman to lead a major Native American tribe; and Rosa Parks, the renowned civil rights activist.
What we should commend is Women on 20s initiative.
If you would like to contribute, use the hashtag #DearMrPresident in social media posts and you’ll be helping to amplify the call for historic change. Women’s equality and value should be heard and seen, even if it is a face on monetary exchange. (end)