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Social currency

For the past year there has been a movement to replace Andrew Jackson’s portrait on the $20 bill with that of a woman, thanks to the folks at Women On 20s. The effort went viral, with people all over the country weighing in on who should grace the bill instead. Harriet Tubman was the most popular choice—and last May Women On 20s presented the signatures of a nationwide petition to the US Treasury. Just a month later, the Treasury responded with the news that a woman would soon be featured on a bill—but the much less widely circulated 10-spot, not the 20. Now that it’s Leap Day and Women On 20s just turned one year old, Jessica and I are adding our voices to the call.

The last time a woman appeared on American paper currency was Martha Washington in 1886. Since we think it’s long past time to #DitchJackson and include a woman on our money, I put together a little snippet of a Tubman bill. Here’s hoping that after her effigy garnered so much public support, Ms. Tubman will get rewarded with a little hard currency after all.