The effigy of the African-American poet and activist Maya Angelou (1928-2014) appears on a new generation of ” quarters », The famous American 25-cent coins, the first copies of which were minted by the United States Mint and will soon be put into circulation.
These are not collectibles, but pieces that will be produced in large volumes, intended for everyday use. They are minted in Philadelphia and Denver, according to a statement released Monday.
It is the first time that an American coin or banknote that does not come from a limited collector’s edition has depicted an African-American woman.
It is the result of the vote in Congress, at the end of 2020, of a bill by the elected Democrat of California Barbara Lee.
Until now, the 25-cent coin, the most used in the United States, had only had a few different versions since 1932, the time to mint a series of 50 coins representing each of the American states, at the beginning. 2000s, and another national parks and sites, from 2010 to 2021.
For most of the coin’s 90-year history, it featured a portrait of the first President of the United States, George Washington, on one side, and an eagle on the other.
In 1999, however, the United States launched a series of ” quarters To honor the country’s 50 states with a symbol for each state to replace the eagle.
The new room will retain the portrait of George Washington on one side and host that of Maya Angelou on the other.
“The phenomenal women who have shaped American history have been ignored for too long, especially women of color,” tweeted Congressman Marc Veasey, elected Democrat in the House of Representatives. “I am proud to have supported Barbara Lee’s text to pay tribute to them. “
This piece is the first copy in a series called “Prominent American Women”, which will honor several illustrious women of various origins.
Astronaut and physicist Sally Ride followed, followed by Wilma Mankiller, the first Native American woman to lead the Cherokee Nation, politician and activist of Hispanic origin Nina Otero-Warren, and actress Anna May Wong, hailed as the first Hollywood star of Asian descent.
“Black women have historically done the most for our country while receiving the least recognition,” said African-American elected official Ayanna Pressley.
“Glad to see the legacy of Maya Angelou, a heroine of mine, being honored,” the Democrat tweeted.
Known for her memoirs and poetry, Maya Angelou is considered one of the most emblematic authors of the condition of African Americans in the United States.
She wrote I know why the caged bird sings, autobiographical novel seen as a classic of American literature.
Friend of Malcolm X, active in the Martin Luther King movement, Marguerite Johnson, by her birth name, has written extensively on the American South, where she was from.
In 2017, the Obama administration announced that populist President Andrew Jackson would be replaced on $ 20 bills by black abolitionist figure Harriet Tubman.
The project was abandoned by Donald Trump during his tenure, but was relaunched after the arrival of Joe Biden in the White House.
Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen confirmed in September that the change was well timed, without giving a timeline.