Tubman on $20 bill represents progress

Harriet Tubman was the first black woman to be featured on a stamp, and she continues to make history as the first African American woman on U.S. currency. (Photo via Flickr/John Flannery) 

In a world now dominated by credit cards, PayPal, and Apple Pay, to name a few, it is often easy to forget the original payment method of the United States: paper money. I rarely carry cash on me and neither do most of my friends, but nonetheless, dollar bills and perhaps more importantly, whose face is on them still matter. Yesterday, Treasury Secretary Jack Lew officially announced that radical changes were going to be made to U.S. currency. Harriet Tubman will be the new face of the $20 bill, representing strides not only for women’s rights, but also for the rights of African Americans and other racial minorities in the United States.

Harriet Tubman rightly deserves to be celebrated for her lifetime of abolitionary endeavors and her work freeing hundreds of slaves. This is a welcome change, as she will be the first African American to be featured on our currency and will replace Andrew Jackson, a president notorious for his racism and bigotry. Other notable female and racial minority historical figures will also be featured on the $5 and $10 bill. Small steps like these help create big changes in the minds of children; it allows them to see the people on paper money and think, that could be me someday.