A recent campaign has gone viral called Women on 20s, an organization sponsoring the placement of an inspirational woman of history on the 20 dollar bill. No woman is on American paper money, two have been on coins, because most money immortalizes a president.
President Obama has expressed interest in having a woman on our national currency with the birth of this campaign. A website has been created to pick the woman they will champion, which the public can go to and vote on their favorite female leader.
Who are the Candidates?
Alice Paul (1885-1977) - This woman organized hunger strikes, sat in jail and organized massive parades so that women could vote. She also had her BA in biology, an MA in sociology, a PhD in economics and headed the National Women's Party for half a century.
Rosa Parks (1913-2005) - You should know who this is from every history course you have taken that covered the 1960s. A brief refresher: wouldn't give up her seat to a white man on a bus, the mother of the freedom movement, international icon. You know, normal stuff.
Clara Barton (1821-1912) - The woman behind The American Red Cross, started a free school for 600 students, and the first female high-level clerk in the federal government
Rachel Carson (1907-1964) - An underground hero who warned the world of the dangers of pesticide, wrote incredible environmental books and accredited with the development of the first Earth day.
Patsy Mink (1927-2002) - First Japanese-American woman to practice law in Hawaii, first Asian-American woman to be in Congress, the first women of color elected to the House, and the first Asian-American to run for president. Casual.
Shirley Chisholm (1924-2005) -The first African American woman who made her staff entirely of women and Founded the National Women's Caucus.
Eleanor Roosevelt (1884-1962) - Oh Eleanor, First Lady of the World. An incredible First Lady who advocated for so many who didn't have a voice.
Susan B Anthony (1820-1906) - One of the women responsible for the suffragette movement who worked tirelessly for the rights of women, laborers and minorities.
Barbara Jordan (1936-1996) - The first African American congresswoman from the deep south, and the first female representative from Texas. She spent her life fighting against racial and gender barriers and winning.
Sojourner Truth (1797-1833) - One of the key faces for the abolitionist movement. Her impassioned speeches gave hope to many slaves and her aide during the Civil War saved many lives.
Frances Perkins (1880-1965) - You can thank this woman for unemployment benefits, pensions, welfare, minimum wages, overtime pay and many other laws that revolutionized the rights for workers.
Betty Frieden (1921-2006) - Wrote the Feminine Mystique and subsequently started a revolution on societal expectations for women, and reignited the feminist movement for the generation.
Margaret Sanger (1879-1966) - If you take birth control, you have this woman to thank. She was instrumental in founding Planned Parenthood and fighting laws that made contraceptive illegal.
Harriet Tubman (1822-1913) - Another woman you should know from any discussion of the Underground Railroad. Refresher: a key abolitionist, a major conductor, and a gifted healer in the Civil War.
Elizabeth Cady Stanton (1815-1902) - "We hold these truths to be self evident that all men and women are created equal." Enough said.
I am a little sad that The Notorious RBG (Ruth Bader Ginsburg) and Condoleezza Rice aren't on the list. The latter is probably because of poor College Football Playoff choices, but I digress.
Why do they want to replace Andrew Jackson?
Although the president did a lot of great things, he is responsible for the Indian Removal Act of 1830. Hello Trail of Tears. Also he was a strong opponent of paper currency and therefore a strange choice to start with.
So pick your favorite woman and go vote!
