During a speech in Kansas City yesterday (July 30th), President Obama planted a seed to rile up feminists, idealists and critical thinkers alike.
He shared a story where a young girl had written him a letter asking why there wasn’t any women on American paper money. Sure, Susan B. Anthony and Sacagawea are on dollar coins, but unless your frequent the subway or your college roommate’s couch, you don’t interact with those on the daily.
The president felt that the future scholar’s inquiry would amount to a “pretty good idea” and that’s where the shrewd thinkers over at New York magazine stepped in. Although there has yet to be a female U.S. commander-in-chief, not all the men immortalized on the country’s were presidents either. (Ben Franklin, Alexander Hamilton).
With that, the design team outed Andrew Jackson out his $20 bill slot (most Americans probably couldn’t name his ranking in the presidency order), several notable women in U.S. history was tested on the mint. Not only did they include traditional historical figure such as Harriet Tubman and Eleanor Roosevelt, but pop culture icons such as Oprah Winfrey and BeyoncĂ© also were mocked up on the money.
Take a look at proposed $20 bills in the gallery below. Let us know we ones you agree or disagree with in the comment section below.
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Photos: New York Magazine
