A former first lady, a pilot, prima ballerina, composer, and journalist will appear on quarters next year in a four-year series by the U.S. Mint to celebrate women’s contributions to society.
Bessie Coleman, Jovita Idar, Edith Kanaka'ole, Eleanor Roosevelt, and Maria Tallchief are the second round of women this year to be featured in the U.S. Mint’s American Women’s Quarters Program. Contributions come from a wide spectrum of fields including, but not limited to, suffrage, civil rights, abolition, government, humanities, science, space, and the arts. The women honored come from ethnically, racially, and geographically diverse backgrounds.
“The range of accomplishments and experiences of these extraordinary women speak to the contributions women have always made in the history of our country,” said Mint Deputy Director Ventris C. Gibson. “I am proud that the Mint continues to connect America through coins by honoring these pioneering women and their groundbreaking contributions to our society.”
The U.S. Mint works with groups including the Smithsonian American Women's History Initiative, National Women's History Museum, and Congressional Bipartisan Women's Caucus to put together the recommendations and select women to be featured.
As required by public law, no living person will be featured in the coin designs, and thus all the women honored must be deceased.
Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen has the final approval of the honorees.
The women to be featured next year:
Bessie Coleman
Born in 1892, Bessie Coleman soared across the sky as the first African American and the first Native American women pilot. Coleman applied to many flight schools across the country and was rejected because she was African American and a woman. She applied for flight school in France and became the first African American to earn an international pilot’s license at the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale in June 1921. She was an advocate, gave speeches, and refused to speak anywhere that was segregated or discriminated against African Americans. She toured the country giving flight lessons and performing in-flight shows, and she encouraged African Americans and women to learn how to fly.
Jovita Idar
Mexican American journalist, activist, teacher, and suffragist Jovita Idar devoted her life to fighting against separatist ideologies and sought to create a better future for Mexican Americans. She was a powerful voice for Mexican immigrants during the Mexican Revolution and was known for using her voice to speak out for the needs and rights of her community. Idar was born in 1885 in Texas, where she was exposed to journalism, and political activism from a young age, according to Women’s History. She was also known for supporting women's suffrage and encouraging women to vote. Idar went on to write for several other publications and was active in the Democratic Party in Texas.
Edith Kanakaʻole
Edith Kanakaʻole was born in 1913 and was an indigenous Hawaiian composer, chanter, dancer, teacher, and entertainer. Her moʻolelo, or stories, served to rescue aspects of Hawaiian history, customs, and traditions that were disappearing due to the cultural bigotry of the time. She founded an internationally recognized dance company, Hālau o Kekuhi, known for hula.
Eleanor Roosevelt
Born in 1994, Elanor Roosevelt was a first lady, author, reformer, and leader. As chairperson of the Human Rights Commission where she oversaw the creation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and as the first chair of the U.N. Commission on Human Rights, she advocated diligently for the civil liberties and needs of the poor, minorities, and the disadvantaged. She became the first first lady to hold a press conference where she invited women reporters only and went on to have her own daily syndicated column.
Maria Tallchief
Maria Tallchief was born in Oklahoma in 1925 and became America’s first prima ballerina. She broke barriers as a Native American ballerina. Her journey began at the Ballet Russe, the premier Russian ballet company in the U.S. In 1947, she became the first American to dance with the Paris Opera Ballet and was the first star of what became the New York City Ballet where she performed leading roles in The Firebird and the Nutcracker. Tallchief spoke out about injustices and discrimination against Native Americans.
