Recently it was announced that Harriet Tubman, the former female slave and abolitionist, will be replacing Andrew Jackson on the twenty dollar bill. More women and abolitionist leaders will be added to the lower value bills, as well. Tubman, an African-American and a Union spy during the Civil War, will bump Jackson, a white man known for his persecution of Native Americans as well as for his war heroics and advocacy for the common man, to the back of the twenty dollar bill. Tubman will be the first woman so honored on paper currency since Martha Washington’s portrait briefly graced the one dollar silver certificate in the late 19th century.This represents a multicultural, multiethnic, and multiracial adjustment to the nation’s currency, although it is somewhat unsettling to see Tubman on one side of the bill and Jackson on the other, since Jackson was a slaveowner who frequently mistreated his slaves, too.
Tubman strikes a chord with many Americans in that people of all ages can relate to her story of challenge and adversity. Not only does this demonstrate a higher regard for people of color and for women in this country, but it also works to reshape history in that it indicates how important Tubman was for slaves and their newfound freedom. While Jackson may appeal to the elite, white male who was well-regarded among the military, Tubman, on the other hand, appeals to the volumes as a Great American hero.
Catherine Clinton, who wrote “Harriet Tubman: The Road to Freedom,” said she was invited by the Smithsonian to a discussion about putting a woman on the $10 bill and gave a copy of her book to Lew and U.S. Treasurer Rosie Rios.
“I felt that people needed to know how amazing her story was,” she said. “She just wasn't a figure from the Underground Railroad, she just wasn't a self-emancipated slave, but she was a brave warrior in the fight against slavery. Harriet Tubman, I found, was such an important figure to so many because she represented the concept of one person making a difference” for the rest of a lifetime.Source: http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-harriet-tubman-20-bill-20160420-story.html
I'm glad that the decision to place Tubman on the $20 bill was made, and I agree that it is unsettling to have her on the front and Jackson on the back. However, these two figures appearances on the same bill does paint an interesting picture of the American narrative. Both individuals were largely self-made, and thus reflect the American value of the "American Dream" through hard-work and perseverance. However, Jackson's inclusion and overt racism also shows the racist underpinnings that have always existed in the U.S.
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ReplyDeleteIt was surprising to me to hear that the Treasury was changing the faces on the bills. When I originally heard, only Tubman’s name had been released as a new face. At the time I wondered if she would serve as the token black and token female presence on the currency, and that the Treasury would not put any others on the bills. I am glad that they are putting more new faces on the bills. I do not know, however if this will “mark a shift in attitudes toward role models” as the historians claim. Call me cynical, but the only time I ever asked, or learned about who was on the bills was in first or second grade when we were learning how to use money. The change itself might spark conversation—it certainly provides the opportunity for it—however, will these conversations continue into the future? I do not know.
ReplyDeleteInitially similar to much of the general public I was excited and a full proponent of Harriet Tubman's addition to the American $20 bill, but this excitement became apprehension as soon as I though in terms of symbolism and the resulting implications. I ask myself how would Tubman, a devout abolitionist, a beacon of freedom, a 100% bonafide American heroine, feel and react to this announcement. My gut reaction is typical of anyone viewing this only surface-deep, of course she would approve and be honored by such a privilege, "Why would she be?", I thought. In elaborating on this sentiment I realized she may not be as pleased as expected. Would she really revere the dollar as we do? This symbol of capitalism and free trade with the face of a freedom fighter who did everything in her power to combat this very system is a bit ironic. The evils such as greed are the same that put her and many others in bondage. I cannot imagine that this is an image she would be proud of, especially when this currency is being used essentially to enslave the masses not just blacks. In today's society, like a fish failing to be cognizant of the water in which it lives, we fail to realize the hold the dollar has us. I'll leave you with this, we have a limited number of hours on this planet, and we equate an hour of human life as less than a dollar in the manufacture of the Nike shoes you own.
ReplyDeleteWhile I think it's a step in the right direction, I also feel that this decision is solely political in nature. It feels like a lazy attempt to smooth over some of the racial tensions that are occurring in America today. While this change does open a conversation for the ignorance prevalent today, I don't think it really goes far enough.
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