America Has Voiced Their Opinion: Wants Harriet Tubman on $20 Bill
WASHINGTON, May 12 (UPI) — America wants Harriet Tubman on the $20 bill.
Over 600,000 citizens voted in a 10-week-long poll to choose a prominent woman to grace United States’ currency through the Women on 20s campaign. The results were announced Tuesday.
African-American abolitionist Harriet Tubman won the final round by over 7,000 votes, kicking the process of convincing the president and secretary of Treasury into gear.
Organizers are urging supporters to join a “virtual march” by incorporating the hashtag #DearMrPresident into messages in the name of the cause.
President Obama already voiced his curiosity and support during a speech, saying that replacing figures on American currency is “a pretty good idea.” All it will take is the president’s signature to prompt Secretary of Treasury Jacob Lew to make the change, the Women on 20s website says.
The movement has already made waves in Congress. New Hampshire Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D) created the Women on the Twenty Act last month that requires the creation of a panel of everyday citizens to recommend a woman to replace Jackson on $20 notes.
“Our paper currency is an important part of our everyday lives and reflects our values, traditions and history as Americans,” Shaheen said in a statement. She acknowledged Women on 20s while promoting the bill.
Women on 20s was created by Barbara Ortiz Howard.
