According to the US Mint, a new US quarter honoring the late Maya Angelou went into circulation on Monday, making the great poet and activist the coin’s first Black woman.
The Maya Angelou quarter is the first in a series of coins honoring prominent women in American history. Other quarters in the series will be released later this year and through 2025, according to a press statement issued by the Mint on Monday.
“Every time we redesign our currency, we have an opportunity to say something about our country — what we value and how we’ve matured as a society,” Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said separately. “I’m overjoyed that these coins celebrate some of America’s most inspirational women, including Maya Angelou.”
The redesigned coin still depicts George Washington on the “heads” side, but the “tails” side pays tribute to Angelou by conjuring one of her most renowned writings, “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings.”
On Monday, lawmakers applauded the unveiling of the new currency and credited Rep. Barbara Lee, a California Democrat, with the success. Lee proposed the Circulating Collectible Coin Redesign Act of 2020, which became law in January 2021 and set the door for the manufacturing of these new coins.
“The wonderful women who created American history have gone unacknowledged for far too long – particularly women of color,” Lee wrote in a tweet. “I am honored to have led this bill honoring their achievements.”
The United States Mint requested the public to submit names of women they consider to be American icons. The bureau encouraged submissions from women notable for their efforts in civil rights, science, and the arts, among other fields, with a focus on women from “ethnically, racially, and geographically diverse backgrounds.” The sole stipulation was that the women shown on the coins be deceased.
“For far too long, the magnificent women who made American history have gone underappreciated — notably women of color,” Lee stated in a tweet. “I am honored to have led this bill in recognition of their accomplishments.”
