Tubman back on the $20

Good, but let’s not draw this out if we can help it.

The Biden administration says it is “exploring ways to speed up” release of $20 bills featuring abolitionist Harriet Tubman after the Trump administration delayed the move first initiated by President Barack Obama.

“It’s important that our notes, our money — if people don’t know what a note is — reflect the history and diversity of our country, and Harriet Tubman’s image gracing the new $20 note would certainly reflect that,” White House press secretary Jen Psaki told reporters Monday.

A spokesperson for the Treasury Department confirmed to CNN that the agency is “exploring ways to resume” putting Tubman on the bill.

There are production factors that will need to be considered in order for the bill to be released before 2028 — when the Trump administration estimated the new note would be unveiled. For example, the Tubman bill will need to produced in a new, high-speed printing facility, which is currently scheduled to begin printing in 2025.

See here for the background. I stand by what I said in 2016, which is that we should have multiple designs for our paper money as we do for our coins so that we can expand the universe of who gets to be on our money, and thus not have to wait so long to feature a first, and then a second and third, woman on a greenback. Let’s not have to wait another couple hundred years before we do this again. Mother Jones, Daily Kos, and The 19th have more.

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3 Responses to Tubman back on the $20

  1. brad says:

    This only makes sense…I think in an actual fist fight Tubman would whup Jackson fiercely.

  2. Flypusher says:

    Also it’s fitting to keep Hamilton on the $10, given his role in building the whole financial system.

    Tubman was a badass, that’s for sure. I’d put a few $20s on her if she did have a barehanded fight with Jackson.

  3. Jason Hochman says:

    Not to detract from Tubman, but Andrew Jackson was also a tough guy. He lived his life with a bullet stuck in his chest from his dueling years. He was the first president to have an assassination attempt. His assailant fired a pistol, which jammed As Jackson charged at him, he then pulled and fired another pistol, which, against all odds, also jammed. Jackson savagely beat his assailant with a cane, and other officials including Davy Crockett helped to subdue and apprehend the would be assassin, who was acquitted at trial because he said that he was King Richard IV, heir to the throne, and was completely off his rocker, spending the rest of his days in an asylum.

    Tubman should not be on the 20 because the financial system is based on oppression and exploitation of working people, which was never worse and more egregious than under slavery. It is almost disrespectful to put Tubman on money and view that as an honor. Just my opinion.

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