Current Events –
Harriet Tubman To Grace The $20 Bill
She is best known as an abolitionist, a Union spy during the Civil War, and the “conductor” of slavery’s Underground Railroad.  Now, African-American historical heroine Harriet Tubman is receiving new recognition: her face will grace the new $20 dollar bill.
Current Events
On Wednesday, Treasury Secretary Jack Lew announced that Harriet Tubman will replace former President Andrew Jackson’s image on the monetary bill. The selection of Tubman is substantial, since she will not only be the first woman featured on U.S. currency, but also the first African-American. Her selection is also symbolic, since Harriet Tubman was once a slave and Andrew Jackson was once a slave owner.
Born Arminta Ross in 1819 or 1820 in Dorchester County, MD, Harriet Tubman was a slave from birth. She is famous for being a 19th century abolitionist who escaped slavery and became the conductor of the Underground Railroad, a system of secret safe houses that successfully helped free hundreds of slaves. She later went on to become a spy for the Union during the Civil War.
The announcement of the forthcoming Harriet Tubman $20 dollar bill came hours after Ellen DeGeneres, Gabrielle Giffords, Arianna Huffington, Gloria Steinem and others penned an open letter to Secretary Lew arguing for a woman to be given the opportunity to be the face of a U.S. bill.
Interestingly, former Republican presidential candidate and African-American neurosurgeon Dr. Ben Carson weighed in on the choice of Tubman, questioning her worthiness for a denomination as high as $20 dollars.
“I love Harriet Tubman,” Carson told Fox News. “I love what she did, but we can find another way to honor her. Maybe a $2 bill.”
A bevy of racists also took to Twitter against the selection of Tubman, claiming a more suitable location for her face would have been on food stamps or an EBT card.
“If I want something dark on the 20’s in my wallet I make sure I wipe my butt with them first,” said one racist. “Let’s take a President of the U.S. off the 10 dollar bill and put an idiot that wouldn’t give up her seat on bus,” said another racist who obviously confused Harriet Tubman with civil rights icon Rosa Parks. Universally, they also vowed never to use a $20 again when her bill goes into circulation.
.
.
Originally, the U.S. Treasury Department had planned to replace Alexander Hamilton on the $10 dollar bill with a woman. Â However, with the wild success of the Broadway musical “Hamilton,” those plans were nixed. Instead, the $10 and even the $5 will get minor changes.
Hamilton will remain on the front of the bill, but the new $10 will honor heroes of the women’s suffrage movement by honoring Lucretia Mott, Sojourner Truth, Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, and Alice Paul.
Former President Abraham Lincoln’s image will continue to grace the front of the $5, however the reverse side of the bill will “honor historic events that occurred at the Lincoln Memorial,” including memorable moments from civil rights icon Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., opera singer Marian Anderson and former first lady Eleanor Roosevelt.
The new $5’s, $10’s and $20’s will be printed and placed into circulation by 2020.
.
“I love Harriet Tubman,” Carson told Fox News. “I love what she did, but we can find another way to honor her. Maybe a $2 bill.” [..]
Honestly, whenever Ben Carson says anything, I imagine him as Stepin Fetchit – the Black character actor who was very popular during the 1930s. In other words, to me – the more he opens his mouth the more he's a total embarrasment to the Black race in Amerca.
But enough about that silly man.
I was so pleased to hear this news yesterday.
When I was a child, learning about Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad was the introduction into the study of Black History for me. Fascinating history.