Maya Angelou becomes first Black woman to appear on a US quarter

Maya Angelou has yet again made history, posthumously.

A new US quarter featuring the late Angelou went into circulation Monday, the US Mint announced. This makes the iconic poet and social activist the first Black woman ever to appear on the coin.

“It is my honor to present our Nation’s first circulating coins dedicated to celebrating American women and their contributions to American history,” said Mint Deputy Director Ventris C. Gibson.

“Each 2022 quarter is designed to reflect the breadth and depth of accomplishments being celebrated throughout this historic coin program. Maya Angelou, featured on the reverse of this first coin in the series, used words to inspire and uplift.”

Maya Angelou quarter

The Maya Angelou quarter is the first in the American Women Quarters Program. The program will include coins featuring prominent women in American history. Other quarters in the series will begin rolling out later this year and through 2025, the Mint said in a release on Monday.

The new coin still features George Washington’s visage on the “heads” side. The “tails” side will honor Angelou by exhibiting one of her celebrated works, the autobiography “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings.”

Coin submissions

The US Mint invited the public to submit names of women they view as American icons. The bureau welcomed entries of women known for their work in civil rights, science and the arts. Among other areas, with an emphasis on women from “ethnically, racially and geographically diverse backgrounds.” The only requirement was that the women who appear on the coins must be deceased.

The agency will issue four other quarters this year, with the others honoring Sally Ride, an astronaut who was the first American woman in space; Asian American actress Anna May Wong; Cherokee Nation leader Wilma Mankiller and suffragette and politician Nina Otero-Warren.