By 2030, the United States is scheduled to replace the face of former President Andrew Jackson with Harriet Tubman on the $20 bill.
This is significant because money is a tangible representation of our country’s identity and obviously, our “values.” Our economy and how we monetize resources and exchanges are symbolic of what we fundamentally believe.
Representation Matters
Historically, the US has mainly celebrated past presidents and other prominent national leaders on its banknotes, with portraits of George Washington ($1), Thomas Jefferson ($2), Abraham Lincoln ($5), Alexander Hamilton ($10), Ulysses S. Grant ($50), and Benjamin Franklin ($100).
Harriet Tubman does not “fit the bill” with these other headliners. She was neither a president nor considered a founder of the nation by conventional standards. By stark contrast, she was an enslaved African-American woman and cast to the lowest position in society due to the racist and inhumane ideologies and laws of the day.
Yet, Harriet Tubman rose above the mire of injustices to the highest and most inspiring levels of leadership. She was dissatisfied with securing her own freedom alone. Instead, she was determined to bring others alongside her as she returned to her birthplace in Maryland, navigating the Underground Railroad system over a dozen times! In her own words, she is known for having never “lost a passenger.” And, she could have “saved a thousand more if they knew they were slaves,” which in and of itself deserves a deeper analysis and reckoning of the psychological effects we must still strive to bring consciousness to this day. What holds us in bondage? Are we shackled by limiting beliefs about our ability to build wealth? Are we enslaved to money? Have we passed along empowering or disempowering narratives for generations? Do we truly operate with a sense of freedom?
Take it to the Bank
Harriet Tubman is a forever icon. She demonstrated grit, courage, and both individual and collective power. Nothing about her was a counterfeit. She did not allow society to define her. Instead, she assumed roles as a cook, nurse, spy, suffragist, and so much more.
Her wisdom is tried and true and we can all learn a lot from her life. Today, her encouragement to relentlessly pursue our aspirations is relevant and timely with reverberations across the ages:
Memorializing Harriet Tubman in this manner on the $20 bill honors her inspiring legacy and the authentic – albeit pernicious – history of our nation. The visual images and symbols on American money certainly recount the narratives of the past. The story of Harriet Tubman, and the lives of so many she represents with courage, leadership, and strength, deserve to be circulated and forever retold with admiration and the highest esteem.
Sources:
https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/503?r=38&s=1
https://www.cnn.com/2021/01/25/politics/harriet-tubman-20-biden-trump-obama/index.html