Abolitionist leader Harriet Tubman was set to make history again in 2020 as the first woman highlighted prominently on U.S. paper currency. But the Trump Administration’s Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said that Tubman’s image on the front of a new $20 bill won’t be happening anytime soon, maybe in about seven or more years when Trump will no longer be in office.
Why are we surprised?
Trump, his administration and members of the GOP have publicly insulted prominent Black women. From Trump continually saying that Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.) is a “low IQ person” to former White House Chief of Staff John F. Kelly lying about comments by Rep. Frederica Wilson (D-Fla.) then refusing to apologize to Arkansas Sen. Tom Cotton referring to former National Security Advisor Susan Rice as “the Typhoid Mary of the Obama Administration,” it has been commonplace.
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And let’s not forget Trump’s vitriol-filled comments toward Black journalists Abby Phillip, April Ryan and Yamiche Alcindor last November.
For the Trump administration, honoring Harriet Tubman — a Black woman who risked her life to help free enslaved Black men, women and children — by putting her image on the $20 bill, is not as important as keeping former President Andrew Jackson on the bill.
During his presidency, Jackson played a large role in the Indian Removal Act of 1830, which forced Native Americans out of their homes to allow European settlers to move in. The journey resulted in the deaths of countless Native Americans.
But according to Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, a plan put in place by the Obama administration to honor Tubman by 2020 is stalled because he’s “focusing on the security features of the US currency,” rather than the design.
‘Do you believe people other than white men have really contributed to this country and history?’
Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.), the first Black woman elected to Congress from Massachusetts, questioned Mnuchin during a House Financial Services Committee hearing on Wednesday.
“I do believe our diversity is our greatest strength and arguably the greatest contributor to our economy,” Pressley began.
“Mr. Secretary, do you believe that representation matters in American politics and imagery?”
Mnuchin said yes.
“I’m so glad we agree,” Pressley said. “A few years ago, Secretary Lew put out a call to the American people soliciting feedback on ways to modernize our nation’s currency. In April 2016, following longtime organizing efforts from several grassroots organizations, he announced a currency redesign overhaul that would more accurately reflect the diversity of our society.”
She then asked, “Secretary, yes or no, do you believe people other than white men have really contributew.fair360.com\/wp-content\/plugins\/elementor-pro\/modules\/lottie\/assets\/animations\/default.json"}};