The late Maya Angelou is now the first Black woman to ever appear on the United States quarter.
The Maya Angelou quarter went into circulation on Monday, the U.S. Mint announced, CNN reports. The activist and award-winning poet’s quarter comes as the first quarter in the American Women Quarters Program, which is set to include impactful and influential women in American history.
“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,” said Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said in a statement, CNN reports. “I’m very proud that these coins celebrate the contributions of some of America’s most remarkable women, including Maya Angelou.”
George Washington’s face will still be seen on one side of the quarter. On the “tails” side, Angelou is featured with her arms widened in front of an American eagle. Her pose is a nod to her autobiography “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings.”
“The phenomenal women who shaped American history have gone unrecognized for too long — especially women of color,” Lee said in a tweet. “Proud to have led this bill to honor their legacies.”
