While we wait for American abolitionist Harriet Tubman to replace Andrew Jackson on the $20 bill, the U.S. Mint has begun shipping quarters featuring legendary poet Maya Angelou.
According to Politico.com, the new U.S. quarters are part of an effort to increase representation of Black Americans on U.S. currency.
Angelou, who died in 2014, is best known for her autobiographies and poetry, including “I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings,” about her teenage experiences.
Angelou recited her poem “On the Pulse of Morning” at the first inauguration of Bill Clinton, making her the first Black poet to perform a poem at a presidential inauguration.
Politico claims The Trump administration halted the efforts to place Harriet Tubman on the $20 bill. Former President Donald Trump reportedly called the efforts to replace Jackson “pure political correctness”.
Shortly after Joe Biden’s inauguration in January 2021, press secretary Jen Psaki said the administration would speed up the process of putting Tubman’s likeness on the $20 bill.