Women of Good Works

Where are the women on our American currency?

March is Women’s History Month. This thirty-five year old tradition began as a weeklong celebration of generations of women whose commitment to nature and the planet proved invaluable to society.  Since 1995, Presidents Clinton, Bush and Obama have issued a series of annual proclamations designating the month of March as “Women’s History Month.”  To learn more about comprehensive contributions catalogued by the Library of Congress, visit: 

http://womenshistorymonth.gov

 

Social media plays a large part of creating buzz around current events. Last week, the hashtag #WomensHistoryMonth was trending on Twitter.  I clicked on several tweets and came across an interesting on-line campaign to change the face on the $20 bill from Andrew Jackson to a pioneering woman. A group, Women on 20s, has defined their mission to generate an overwhelming people's mandate for a new $20 bill, to be issued in time for the 100th anniversary in 2020 of the Constitutional amendment giving women the right to vote. The privilege of voting can be honored by casting a vote from a slate of 15 inspiring American women heroes, including

Francis Perkins

Sojourner Truth‎

Alice Paul

Betty Friedan

Shirley Chisholm

Rachel Carson

Barbara Jordan

Margaret Sanger

Patsy Mink

Clara Barton

Harriet Tubman

Susan B. Anthony

Eleanor Roosevelt

Elizabeth Cady Stanton

Rosa Parks

In the spirit of elections, the effort includes mock images of what the highest vote-getter could look like on the $20 bill. Additionally, the Primary Round allows participants to vote for three candidates on the ballot.  The top 3 vote-getters advance to the Final Round.

Image from the “Women on 20s” Campaign

 

To learn more, or to cast your vote, go to

http://www.womenon20s.org/primaries

My research on @WomenOn20s introduced me to a new she-ro, Barbara Ortiz Howard. With the Women On 20s campaign, she aims to literally raise the profile of a woman in a male-dominated field. Barbara is taking her purposed work to new dimensions by asking: isn't it time for #genderequality on our money? Will you participate? Feel free to comment, or, send me an email at latanyua.robinson@gmail.com. If you like this post and want to catch up on some of my previous discussions, please visit the full Purposed Work blog at http://ltr-latrobe-mfg.blogspot.com/.