These Five American Women Will Appear on New Quarters in 2024
Originally published by Veronica Roseborough for The Hill
The U.S. Mint has announced five new women who will be circulated on quarters in 2024 as part of the third year of the American Women Quarters Program.
The circulation is an initiative of the U.S. Mint in consultation with the Smithsonian American Women’s History Museum, which was approved by Congress alongside the National Museum of the American Latino in 2020.
The fate of the Latino Museum is up in the air amid a dispute in Congress, but thus far the women’s museum is moving forward and set to be built in the next 10 years — its backers hope on the National Mall.
“The idea for the museum has actually been decades in the making,” Melanie Adams, who is serving as the museum’s interim director following Nancy Yao’s departure from the position, told The Hill.
“This was based on the belief that the country really needs and deserves physical National Museums dedicated to showcasing the historical experiences and impact of women in this country,” Adams added.
For the past two years, quarters have featured prominent women including Maya Angelou, Sally Ride and Eleanor Roosevelt. This year’s quarters represent women who may not feature in history books but were equally impactful in shaping American history.
“We can’t change history, but we can and will change the way history is told,” Penny Pritzker, former commerce secretary and chair of the Smithsonian American Women’s History Museum’s Advisory Council, said in a statement to The Hill.
The new honorees represent a variety of women, from different states and different backgrounds, time periods, and fields. The 2024 quarters will feature Rev. Dr. Pauli Murray, Patsy Takemoto Mink, Dr. Mary Edwards Walker, Celia Cruz and Zitkala-Ša.