Female trailblazers will continue to receive their flowers.
The U.S. Mint has announced five new historic figures whose faces will appear on the 2023 quarters. The spotlight is a part of a four-year program to honor the historic contributions and achievements of women pioneers. As AfroTech previously told you, Maya Angelou was one of the first to appear under the American Women Quarters Program. She joined Dr. Sally Ride, Wilma Mankiller, Nina Otero-Warren, and Anna May Wong, Essence reports.
As the new year encroaches, you can look forward to some fresh faces who will be receiving the well-deserved honor such as Bessie Coleman. The Texas native, who was sometimes referred to as “The Only Race Aviatrix in the World,” became the first African American woman and Native American to acquire a pilot license. She rose to notoriety after performing dangerous air shows throughout the nation. The late pilot will be joined by Edith Kanakaʻole, Eleanor Roosevelt, Jovita Idar, and Maria Tallchief, who will also be featured in next year’s quarters.
“The range of accomplishments and experiences of these extraordinary women speak to the contributions women have always made in the history of our country,” said Mint Deputy Director Ventris Gibson, according to CBS News. “I am proud that the Mint continues to connect America through coins by honoring these pioneering women and their groundbreaking contributions to our society.”
More To Come
The women were selected by the Secretary of the Treasury following a debrief with the Smithsonian Institution’s American Women’s History Initiative, the National Women’s History Museum, and the Congressional Bipartisan Women’s Caucus.
The American Women Quarters Program will have more in store until 2025.
