Thursday, April 21, 2016

Twitter users react to Harriet Tubmans new place on the $20 bill

Move over, Andrew Jackson—the $20 bill will soon be known as a “Tubman.”

The U.S. Department of Treasury sparked a passionate conversation on Wednesday when it announced it was placing Harriet Tubman, an African-American abolitionist and Union spy during the Civil War, on the front of the $20 bill.

In a Medium post, Treasure Secretary Jacob J. Lew announced that Jackson would be relegated to the back of the bill, alongside The White House. Lew said the decision to feature Tubman was a result of responses the department received:

The decision to put Harriet Tubman on the new $20 was driven by thousands of responses we received from Americans young and old. I have been particularly struck by the many comments and reactions from children for whom Harriet Tubman is not just a historical figure, but a role model for leadership and participation in our democracy. You shared your thoughts about her life and her works and how they changed our nation and represented our most cherished values.

Though Twitter saw a deluge of racist tweets in response to the news, many others supported the decision:

Some said although featuring Tubman on American currency was a step in the right direction, she should have gotten her own bill:

Others used the announcement as a jumping-off point to launch discussions about political and societal issues:

Changes coming to $5 and $10 bills

Featuring Tubman is not the only change coming to American currency—nor will it be the first to be enacted.

Lew announced that Alexander Hamilton would remain on the front of the $10, but that several suffragettes would be featured on the back:

As I said when we launched this exciting project: after more than 100 years, we cannot delay, so the next bill to be redesigned must include women, who for too long have been absent from our currency. The new $10 will honor the story and the heroes of the women’s suffrage movement against the backdrop of the Treasury building. Treasury’s relationship with the suffrage movement dates back to the March of 1913, when advocates came together on the steps of the Treasury building to demonstrate for a woman’s right to vote, seven years prior to the passage of the 19th Amendment. The new $10 design will depict that historic march and honor Lucretia Mott, Sojourner Truth, Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, and Alice Paul for their contributions to the suffrage movement. The front of the new $10 will continue to feature Alexander Hamilton, our nation’s first Treasury Secretary and the architect of our economic system.

Abraham Lincoln will continue to be the face of the $5 bill, but Lew announced that the back of the redesigned bills will feature historic events that took place at the Lincoln Memorial, including Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech.

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The $10 bill is the first that’s due for a redesign, and Lew said that they should be available in 2020—which will coincide with the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment’s ratification, giving women the right to vote.

The New York Times called Lew’s announcement “the most sweeping and historically symbolic makeover of American currency in a century.” However, critics complained that Tubman’s face will not be seen on $20 bills for a long time, and the Times reported that Lew went back on his promise to make a woman the face of the $10 bill—which also angered critics:

Mr. Lew may have reneged on a commitment he made last year to make a woman the face of the $10 bill, opting instead to keep Alexander Hamilton, to the delight of a fan base swollen with enthusiasm over a Broadway rap musical based on the life of the first Treasury secretary.

Politico reported that Wednesday’s announcement was a response to both academics and those enamored with “Hamilton” the musical—which recently won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama:

The plan is a major reversal for Lew, who appeared taken aback by the swift rebukes Treasury received last summer when he announced that he was considering replacing Hamilton on the $10 bill with a woman.

While he explained that Hamilton was on the chopping block as a matter of practicality – the $10 bill was the next one up for a redesign – Lew still got an earful from fans of Hamilton, who helped create the Treasury Department and the modern American financial system.

Critics immediately called for Lew to take Jackson off the $20 bill instead, given the former president’s role in moving Native Americans off their land.

What do you think of the changes, Ragan readers?

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