In 2016, former Treasury Secretary Jack Lew announced that Harriet Tubman would be placed on the front of the $20 bill. However, after five years and no current plans to revamp the currency, descendants of the abolitionist are disappointed.
Plans to place Tubman on the $20 bill were declared under the Obama Administration and slated for 2020. Once Donald Trump took office, his administration delayed the swap until 2030. While still on the campaign trail, Trump was transparent about his apprehension with removing former President Andrew Jackson from the bill. He suggested that Tubman’s face be placed on another denomination.
In January 2021, the Biden Administration said it would attempt to accelerate those steps.
Michele Jones Galvin, the great-great-great-grand-niece of Tubman, says that three women in their family are in their 90s. She hopes they will live to see Tubman replace Jackson but says the family is losing patience with the prolonged process.
“Our thought is if, in fact, you can send man to the moon, and you can do all kinds of things, we should have the technical ability and the technical expertise to do what needs to be done,” Galvin said.
The Bureau of Engraving and Printing attributed the delay to the currency design process being “complex” and requiring extensive testing.
New York Rep. John Katko is also pushing for Tubman to grace the front of the bill and says the government needs to put more effort into getting it done.
“If they want to get it done sooner, they can. They just need to prioritize it,” he stated.
The Bureau of Engraving and Printing said in a recent statement that the 2030 release date was still in effect.
