![]() Jack Sotomayor/New York Times Co./Getty Images Above, Angelou gestures while speaking during an interview at her home in April 1978. ![]() Mint has released a batch of quarters featuring trailblazing poet and writer, Maya Angelou. “Hopefully the public really delves into who these women were, because these women have made such a contribution to our country in so many ways.The U.S. I mean, it’s outrageous that we haven’t,” Lee said. “I wanted to make sure that women would be honored, and their images and names be lifted up on our coins. The American Women Quarters program is authorized by the Circulating Coin Redesign Act of 2020, which was initiated by California Democratic Representative Barbara Lee.Īccording to reporting by nonprofit newsroom The 19th, Lee had been working on this legislation since 2017 and was motivated to honor women through a medium that has traditionally recognized men. The quarters, manufactured at the Mint facilities in Philadelphia and Denver, will now be shipped across the country, according to the press release. “Each 2022 quarter is designed to reflect the breadth and depth of accomplishments being celebrated throughout this historic coin program,” Gibson said. The Mint’s Gibson said it was her honor to present the “nation’s first circulating coins dedicated to celebrating American women and their contributions to American history,” according to the press release. By 2025, 20 women will grace the faces of U.S. She also became the first Asian American cast as the lead in a television show with her role in the 1951 program, The Gallery of Madame Liu-Tsong.įor each year of the program, five new quarters will be created. Wong was also known for her activism, as she raised money and advocated for Chinese refugees during World War II. after working in the industry for many years. Despite her talent and fame, Wong faced significant discrimination in the U.S., which led her to leave the U.S. She was cast in her first leading role in 1922 in the film, The Toll of the Sea. The first Chinese film star in Hollywood, Wong appeared in more than 60 movies. Otero-Warren’s coin shows her image with the slogan, “Voto para la mujer,” meaning “Vote for Women.” The amendment gives American women the right to vote. Otero-Warren was the first woman superintendent of Santa Fe public schools and a top leader of New Mexico’s suffrage movement, leading efforts to ratify the 19th Amendment in the state. Her quarter depicts her dressed in traditional clothing alongside the Cherokee Nation seven-pointed star. She had dedicated her life to fighting for the rights of Indigenous people in the U.S. Mankiller was the first woman elected as principal chief of the Cherokee Nation. They later revealed three additional honorees last June: Wilma Mankiller, Adelina Otero-Warren and Anna May Wong. The Mint originally announced Angelou and Ride as the program’s first honorees in April 2021. When the Challenger exploded in 1986, she was one of the top investigators examining the incident. The physicist and educator made history on June 18, 1983, when she entered space on the shuttle Challenger, following NASA’s policy change to allow women in space in the late 1970s. (Credit: The United States Mint)Īdditional honorees include Sally Ride. ![]() Sally Ride was a physicist, astronaut, educator, and the first American woman to soar into space. Sally Ride Quarter is the second coin in the American Women Quarters™ Program. The quarter bearing Angelou’s likeness is one of five new coins being released this year, each featuring the image of a prominent woman who has contributed to a variety of professions and institutions. According to the press release, the artists were inspired by Angelou’s poetry and the way she led her life. Mint Artistic Infusion Program artist Emily Damstra created the design, while the Mint’s Medallic artist Craig A. “Maya Angelou … used words to inspire and uplift,” Mint Deputy Director Ventris Gibson said. ![]() I’m very proud that these coins celebrate the contributions of some of America’s most remarkable women, including Maya Angelou,” said Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen. “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. Best known for her 1969 memoir, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, Angelou is depicted on the coin with her arms outstretched in front of a rising sun and a bird in flight. To mark the program’s start, the Mint released quarters bearing the likeness of writer, performer and activist Maya Angelou. The United States Mint on Monday launched its American Women Quarters Program, a four-year initiative to honor the work and accomplishments of various American women by placing their images on new quarters being launched from 2022 to 2025.
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