Maya Angelou Becomes First Black Woman on US Quarter Coin

Late Maya Angelou, a poet and activist has become the first black woman to be featured on the US quarter coin.

The Maya Angelou quarter is the first in the American Women Quarters Program, which will include coins featuring prominent women in American history.

The US Mint announced the circulation new coin. Other quarters in the series will begin rolling out later this year and through 2025, the Mint said in a statement.

“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,” Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said in a statement “I’m very proud that these coins celebrate the contributions of some of America’s most remarkable women, including Maya Angelou.”

The new coin still features George Washington’s visage on the “heads” side, while the “tails” side honors Angelou by evoking one of her most famous works, the autobiography “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings.”

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.

CNN/Stephanie Ingbian