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The United States of America is experiencing a HERstorical moment! Writer and civil rights activist Maya Angelou has become the first Black woman to appear on a US currency. Angelou’s image is now circulating in the 25 cents coins, commonly known as a quarter.
The coin shows the late poet and activist with her arms uplifted, standing in front of a bird with open wings and a rising sun in the background. As reported by The Guardian, the US Mint said the image was “inspired by her poetry and symbolic of the way she lived.”
“Each time we redesign our currency, we have the chance to say something about our country – what we value and how we’ve progressed as a society. I’m very proud that these coins celebrate the contributions of some of America’s most remarkable women, including Maya Angelou,” said Janet Yellen, US treasury secretary.
Maya Angelou’s quarter inaugurated the US Mint’s American Women Quarters program. The project will also release currency with the faces of physicist and first female astronaut Dr. Sally Ride and the first female principal chief of the Cherokee Nation, Wilma Mankiller. Americans are welcome to submit names of iconic women.
“I will forever cherish the private moments I had the privilege to share with Maya, from talking in her living room as sisters to her invaluable counsel throughout the challenges I faced as a Black woman in elected office,” said Democrat congresswoman Barbara Lee.
“I am proud to have led this effort to honor these phenomenal women, who more often than not are overlooked in our country’s telling of history. If you find yourself holding a Maya Angelou quarter, may you be reminded of her words, ‘be certain that you do not die without having done something wonderful for humanity,’” Leed added.