Legendary Poet Maya Angelou Becomes 1st Black Woman Featured On U.S. Quarter

Tue, January 11, 2022 at 11:47 AM

Legendary Poet Maya Angelou Becomes 1st Black Woman Featured On U.S. Quarter

Source: The Washington Post / Getty

The late poet and civil rights activist Dr. Maya Angelou lived a rich and celebrated life due to her influential works and service to the world. Long immortalized in the annals of the written word, Angelou's likeness will be featured on a U.S. quarter, making her the first Black woman to be featured on the coin.

Angelou, who passed at the age of 86 in 2014, is the first featured figure for the American Women Quarters Program, which aims to feature several women from varying fields on the currency.

More from the U.S. Mint:

The United States Mint (Mint) has begun shipping the first coins in the American Women Quarters (AWQ) Program. These circulating quarters honoring Maya Angelou are manufactured at the Mint facilities in Philadelphia and Denver. Coins featuring additional honorees will begin shipping later this year and through 2025.

"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."

Angelou came to worldwide notoriety by way of her autobiography, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, and she published a number of books that span poetry, songs, fiction, and non-fiction, with over two dozen bestselling releases among them. Angelou blazed trails in 1992 by becoming the first Black woman to write and present a poem at a presidential inauguration during President Bill Clinton's swearing-in ceremony. In 2010, Angelou received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Barack Obama.

Reactions to the news this week of the new coin cropped up on Twitter and we've got a few of those responses below.

The first coin of the American Women Quarters Program is here-the Maya Angelou Quarter! Learn about honoree Maya Angelou and #HerQuarter in our press release at https://t.co/yYzGJpXQDD. Look for it in your change. @USTreasury @smithsonian @womenshistory @DrMayaAngelou @WCPInst pic.twitter.com/GVUpcnbszq

— United States Mint (@usmint) January 10, 2022

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Photo: Getty

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1.

Excited to announce that today, Maya Angelou becomes the first Black woman to appear on a US quarter!

The phenomenal women who shaped American history have gone unrecognized for too long-especially women of color. Proud to have led this bill to honor their legacies. pic.twitter.com/TYZeEJ8LhX
— Rep. Barbara Lee (@RepBarbaraLee) January 10, 2022

2.

Today, @usmint releases the Maya Angelou quarter!

As a poetry writer myself, I'm thrilled to see her brilliance, wisdom, and creativity recognized in such a historic way. pic.twitter.com/R7IPDd54rY
— Rep. Gwen Moore (@RepGwenMoore) January 10, 2022

3.

Black women have historically done the most for our country while receiving the least recognition.

Glad to see Maya Angelou, a shero of mine, have her legacy honored & become the first Black woman enshrined on the US quarter.

Thank you @RepBarbaraLee for making this possible. https://t.co/0qCuFRnn1l
— Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (@RepPressley) January 10, 2022

4.

If you don't want a Maya Angelou quarter give it to me. pic.twitter.com/amcKIMtvaN
— Reecie @BlackWomenViews (@ReecieColbert) January 11, 2022

5.

First time I'm retweeting the Mint.
The Maya Angelou quarter looks great.
Love the design. https://t.co/gZmdrZxPnq
— Julie Cohen (@FilmmakerJulie) January 11, 2022

6.

"Continue to be who and how you are, to astonish a mean world with your acts of kindness." -Maya Angelou

If these wonderful coins can spread even a quarter of Maya's strength, joy, wisdom, passion, and compassion, our country will be a much better place. https://t.co/c9I5rFzId4
— Bill Clinton (@BillClinton) January 11, 2022

7.

The Maya Angelou quarter is now on its way to your bank! Thank you Congresswoman Lee for your partnership to make my dream of redesigning our nation's coins a reality after over five painful years. Maya represents the voice of so many people who still remain voiceless today. pic.twitter.com/PMRFx6220k
— Rosie Rios (@RosieRios) January 11, 2022

8.

I can't wait to collect my first Maya Angelou quarter.
— BrooklynDad_Defiant! (@mmpadellan) January 11, 2022

9.

For the first time ever, the US quarter features a Black woman.

Maya Angelou, legendary American poet and civil rights activist, is being honored on the "tails" side of the coin, as part of the American Women Quarters Program. pic.twitter.com/XEe76Ltfp9
— Human Rights Watch (@hrw) January 11, 2022

10.

"You may encounter many defeats, but you must not be defeated."

Always the trailblazer, Maya Angelou today becomes the first Black woman ever to appear on a U.S. Quarter. Well deserved.
— Rep. Val Demings (@RepValDemings) January 10, 2022

11.

Maya Angelou is the first black woman to appear on a US quarter. The coins started going out today. pic.twitter.com/iqh65t2M8k
— Steve Cohen (@RepCohen) January 10, 2022

12.

Today, Maya Angelou becomes the first Black woman to be featured on a quarter!

Civil rights leader. Poet laureate. College professor. Actress.

Maya Angelou's life and legacy will continue to inspire Americans for generations to come. pic.twitter.com/k0GhQi5hs8
— Rep. Shontel Brown (@RepShontelBrown) January 10, 2022