20 Women We'd Rather See On The $20 Bill Than Andrew Jackson
America, in all its vastness and prosperity, is a product of the hard work and sacrifice of many exceptional men and women.
You wouldn't know it by taking a look at our currency, however. Simply put, there is not a single female on American paper money.
At present, every single dollar bill, regardless of value, features a white man. Accordingly, this misrepresents American history and culture.
The individuals we put on our money reveal a great deal about our principles and the way we view our history.
It's not that most of the individuals on our bills don't deserve the honor, we just need more diversity on our money.
Sure, Susan B. Anthony, Helen Keller and Sacagawea have been featured on circulating coinage.
But let's be honest, Americans despise using coins, so this is essentially equivalent to a runners-up award.
Let's give American women the credit they deserve.
March is Women's History Month, making it the perfect time to have this conversation.
And more than a few women are already speaking up: Barbara Ortiz Howard and Susan Ades Stone recently founded Women on 20s, a movement to get a female on the $20 bill.
Why the $20 you ask?
The president it features, Andrew Jackson, was responsible for the Indian Removal Act. This led directly to the Trail of Tears, one of the most disgraceful events in American history.
It involved forcibly removing 15,000 Native Americans from their homelands and forcing them to march through the wilderness to Oklahoma under the watch of the army; 4,000 Cherokees died along the way.
Indeed, it's time to take President Andrew Jackson off the $20 bill, and to give women the credit they deserve for their contributions to America's history and progress.
The Women on 20s movement has compiled a list of 15 candidates for the $20 bill, but we've come up with some suggestions of our own.
Here are 20 women who deserve to be on the $20 bill far more than Jackson, and just as much as any other man:
1. Eleanor Roosevelt
Longest-serving First Lady in history (1933-45). Saw America through the Great Depression and WWII. Instrumental in the UN during its early days as a delegate and chair of UN Commission on Human Rights. Tireless civil, human and women's rights advocate.
2. Sojourner Truth
An escaped slave turned fearless abolitionist and women's right advocate. Famous for giving her "Ain't I a Woman" speech. Helped recruit black soldiers for the Union army during Civil War.
3. Susan B. Anthony
Women's rights advocate and the President of the National American Woman Suffrage Association (1892-1900). Her indefatigable work led to the 19th Amendment to the Constitution, which gave women the right to vote.
4. Pocahontas
Native American. Peacemaker. She played a vital role in the survival of the first permanent English settlement in America, Jamestown.
5. Harriet Tubman
Escaped slave turned conductor on the Underground Railroad. Led hundreds of slaves to freedom. Also served in the Civil War as a nurse, scout and spy.
6. Abigail Adams
Second First Lady in American history, and mother of the sixth president, John Quincy Adams. One of the earliest advocates for women's rights.
7. Sacagawea
Native American. Translator. Wilderness guide. Without her, the Lewis and Clark Expedition would have surely failed. She helped them travel across the United States and back again, all while caring for her newborn child.
8. Maya Angelou
Poet. Author. Civil Rights Advocate. Her book, "I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings," is considered one of the most influential literary works in American history.
9. Ruth Bader Ginsburg
Second female justice of the US Supreme Court. Tireless advocate for gender equality, women's rights, separation of church and state and workers' rights.
10. Sally Ride
Physicist. First American woman in space. Advocate for children's education.
11. Rosa Parks
American hero. Civil rights advocate. By refusing to get up from her seat on a bus, she sent shockwaves through American society and changed history.
12. Harriet Beecher Stowe
Author of one of the most important books in American history, "Uncle Tom's Cabin." It helped expose the cruelty and immorality of slavery.
13. Dolores Huerta
Activist and advocate for immigrants, workers and children. Her efforts led to the establishment of United Farm Workers.
14. Helen Keller
Author and advocate for the handicapped. Lost both her sight and hearing as a child, but learned to communicate and became a worldwide inspiration.
15. Betty Friedan
Feminist. Author. Bold activist. Wrote "The Feminine Mystique," and helped found the National Organization for Woman (NOW).
16. Coretta Scott King
Civil rights advocate. Worked vigorously alongside her husband, Martin Luther King Jr., to advocate for the rights of minorities. Founded the Center for Nonviolent Social Change in Atlanta, GA.
17. Frances Perkins
First women to hold a US cabinet post as secretary of labor under FDR. Instrumental in the New Deal, Fair Labor Standards Acts and Social Security.
18. Amelia Earhart
Adventurer. Pioneer. Aviator. Advocate for women. The first woman to complete a solo flight across the Atlantic. Tragically, she disappeared during an attempt to fly around the globe.
19. Clara Barton
Humanitarian. Women's right advocate. Suffragist. Famous for her heroics as a nurse during the Civil War. Founded the American Red Cross.
20. Rosie the Riveter
Although she was a symbol and not a person, Rosie represented countless women who played a vital role in the industrial labor force during WWII. Without these brave and industrious women, the United States wouldn't have won the war.
Honorable mention: Oprah Winfrey
Philanthropist. Giver of free cars. All around inspiration. 'Nuff said.
Editor's Note on behalf of Kanye West:
Beyoncé had one of the best videos of all time... She obviously deserves to be on every single American dollar bill.
Editor's Note: Kanye West didn't really say this... but you know he's probably thinking it.
