By Manny Otiko
Americans may soon be pulling stacks of Tubmans out of their wallets at the gas station. Treasury Secretary Jack Lew said the new face on the $10 bill will be a “notable woman.” Legendary abolitionist Harriet Tubman topped a poll organized by Women on 20, a women’s advocacy group. The poll asked people to vote on which woman they wanted to see on the new currency. Tubman beat out 15 other candidates, including former first lady Eleanor Roosevelt and civil rights activist Rosa Parks.
“America’s currency is a way for our nation to make a statement about who we are and what we stand for. Our paper bills — and the images of great American leaders and symbols they depict — have long been a way for us to honor our past and express our values,” Lew said in a statement. “We have only made changes to the faces on our currency a few times since bills were first put into circulation, and I’m proud that the new 10 will be the first bill in more than a century to feature the portrait of a woman.”
The new design will not eliminate Alexander Hamilton, whose image is currently on the $10 bill.
“There are many options for continuing to honor Hamilton. While one option is producing two bills, we are exploring a variety of possibilities,” Lew said.
The Huffington Post stated the new bills will be released in 2020, a century after the 19th Amendment guaranteed women the right to vote. A woman had also been suggested to replace President Andrew Jackson on the $20 bill.
Jackson is a controversial figure with some people calling for him to removed from the $20 bill because of his background, which includes racism and genocide. They argue a man who was responsible for the Indian Removal Act and the Trail of Tears should not be on our national currency.
According to Slate writer Jillian Keenan, “Even in historical context, our seventh president falls short. His racist policies were controversial even in his own time. After the Indian Removal Act only narrowly passed Congress, an 1832 Supreme Court ruling declared it unconstitutional.”
Keenan said Tubman’s legendary life, which includes escaping slavery, carrying out undercover missions to liberate slaves and serving as a Civil War spy and Army scout, would be much more worthy of recognition than Jackson.
“Personally, my vote goes to Harriet Tubman. If Jackson’s humble origins inspire people, you can’t start much lower than Tubman, who was born into slavery,” she said. “Although Tubman escaped to Philadelphia, she bravely risked her life to return to the South and help more than 300 enslaved people escape to freedom through the Underground Railroad. During the Civil War, she served our country as a nurse, armed scout, and spy for the Union Army, and wrapped up her heroic life by campaigning with Susan B. Anthony for women’s right to vote. It doesn’t get more inspirational than that.”
Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-New Hampshire), who wrote a bill calling for Lew to appoint a panel of citizens to find famous women who could appear on the $20 note, was pleased with the decision to put a woman on the $10 bill.
“Today, those voices all across the country calling for the contributions of women to be honored on our paper currency, were heard and now change is happening,” Shaheen said in a statement. “This announcement follows a tremendous grassroots movement that spread through the power of social media and good old-fashioned word-of-mouth. While it might not be the twenty-dollar bill, make no mistake, this is a historic announcement and a big step forward.”
This is a corrected version of an earlier story.
Learn more about Harriet Tubman:
Harriet Tubman: The Road to Freedom
Harriet Tubman: The Moses of Her People (African American)
Bound for the Promised Land: Harriet Tubman: Portrait of an American Hero
To the genius that wrote this article: they have NOT come to a decision yet. Tubman is just favored among any possible choices. Please research your stuff correctly.
Huffington Post says she is an early frontrunner. No decision will be made for quite a while; probably not this year.
I say put Nicki Minaj.
No one has been chosen yet for the $10 bill redesign. Harriet Tubman is one of the finalist, along with Eleanor Roosevelt, Eleanor Roosevelt, Rosa Parks and Wilma Mankiller.
We need the $10 and the $20. The $10 is a start , would be ready closer to 2020, (not firm date) but $10 not used so much. Need to remove hater AJ. Save the $20 for Harriet. A matter of national security- root out racism.
Non closable auto play video ad = never clicking on your site again.
Really? I don't think this founding father of our country and founder of the financial system would be proud. https://en.wikipedia.org/?title=Alexander_Hamilton
They didn't fail in research… they flat out lied. Huffington Post never said anything of the sort in an article… and that's why this page didn't link to it.
This was a blatant lie in order to get likes and shares, thus increasing their revenue.
More liberal SJW crap trying to re-litigate history and apply modern ideas to past events. Give a rest already,
Who cares they're dead
You're thinking of the poll done by a women's rights group, in which Harriet Tubman won the online poll for the place on the $20 bill. But that poll was in no way official or connected to the treasury at all.
Timothy Leggs That's what you want people to say when your dead too right?
I don't think I'll care when I'm dead just as i am sure the founding father and founder of our financial system cares! He's dead " The dead know not anything " Remember its 2015 not 1776 smh
Timothy Leggs Thank you for that insight. Here is a good read, which I had not known. http://www.amazingfacts.org/media-library/study-guide/e/4987/t/are-the-dead-really-dead.aspx
So, the campaign [to bring awareness] was to get a woman on the $20 bill, but, what– is that too much?? Choosing to do it on a bill worth much less, only half, seems like such a "F you" — as if we women aren't already constantly being devalued & shown how little [many, not all] men in this country think of us, especially politicians. #ThrowThemABone smh
Looks more like a Harry Tubman then Harriet to me.
Nice one.
Sure lets spend more money to change things when there are Many OTHER things we need this money for stupid STUPID.
Timothy Leggs Punctuation. Punctuation. Punctuation.
Every so many years, they update a bill. They go through periodic rotation for updating the design for the sake of security. Since they already have to update the bill for better prevention of counterfeit bills, they're just changing it up a little more. They wouldn't be doing this if it weren't time for the bill to be updated. I'd be irritated too if this weren't the case.
Who the hell still uses cash still…… other than drug dealing thugs?
You're an utter scumbag and I hope you choke on that fucking microphone.
Tubman will never be on the currency…..She did nothing for the whole of the nation and she was a fugitive criminal. BTW RACISM is NOT ILLEGAL..whether you feel it is wrong is subjective. If they were to make racism illegal you would lose your right to your religion …..along with many other freedoms.
Andrew Cutler Anytime you would like to say that me in person I would be happy to give you the address. Harriet Tubman in NO WAY compares to the contributions that Hamilton had to the founding of the Nation. But I wouldn't expect a queen licking canuk to understand that.
Wtf rewrite history why don't ya