Poet Maya Angelou Becomes First Black Woman To Appear On US Coin

Poet and activist Maya Angelou is now the first Black woman to be on the US quarter, in a new version of the coin unveiled by the US Mint on Monday.

Angelou, who’s the author of “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings,” will also be the first figure to be celebrated through the American Women Quarters Program, which was initiated into law in January 2021.

The US Mint “has begun shipping the first coins” with Angelou’s likeness on the American quarter, a 25-cent piece, according to a press release.

“It is my honor to present our nation’s first circulating coins dedicated to celebrating American women and their contributions to American history,” Mint Deputy Director Ventris Gibson said.

“Each 2022 quarter is designed to reflect the breadth and depth of accomplishments being celebrated throughout this historic coin program. Maya Angelou, featured on the reverse of this first coin in the series, used words to inspire and uplift.”

The program directs the US Mint to issue quarters each year between 2022 and 2025 which in turn features five several female trailblazers who have contributed to the country.

Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen stated that she was “proud that these coins celebrate the contributions of some of America’s most remarkable women.”

“Each time we redesign our currency, we have the chance to say something about our country — what we value, and how we’ve progressed as a society,” she added.

The quarter has for the past 90 years shown the nation’s first president, George Washington, on one side and an eagle on the other.

Angelou, born in Missouri in 1928, was an essayist and poet who worked with Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X during the Civil Rights Movement.

Angelou, who delivered the poem at former President Bill Clinton’s first inauguration, died in 2014.