Cause A Frockus

Harriet Tubman on the 20

May 13, 2015 | by Becky Oeltjenbruns

Have you guys been following this great campaign: Women on 20s? In a nut shell, it’s about taking the quest for gender equality to one of the essentials in life – currency. Think about it: we’re a country built on the hope and hard work of heroes (both male and female), yet we keep our honors very male-centric. Particularly in the realm of money. It’s 2015 – high time for that to change! Plus, we’re coming up on the 100th anniversary of women’s suffrage in five years. What a great way to celebrate the importance of that milestone. I think we can agree the idea is sound, but how to choose from all the various activists, icons, and superwomen out there? For the first vote (and after a slew of tough decisions), sixteen names were offered up for a public vote.

I’m happy to report that the polls have closed and a winner has been selected: Harriet Tubman. She’s the first candidate up for consideration (check out the other fifteen amazing women in this post), but here’s hoping she leads the way for more strong female role models. I would love to see other faces gracing that green paper we know and love. The Women on 20s group has petitioned President Obama, asking him to direct the Secretary of Treasury to put Harriet Tubman on the 20 dollar bill. Now the history buffs out there may be jumping up at this point… isn’t there already money with women on it? Like that Sacagawea dollar coin you used to buy those tasty Skittles the other day, for example. Granted that’s a valid point, but why should the amazing women of the world be limited to specialty coins that don’t get a ton of use? Paper currency is very popular and therefore extremely visible. The group points out some other fun tidbits on why this is a good idea here.

So let’s get to know our victor – Harriet Tubman. Her life story is an amazing journey of perseverance and bravery. Born on the East coast in the early 1800s, Harriet was never one to shy away from what was right (even if it meant putting herself in danger). Long before she was helping with the Underground Railroad as a conductor, a teenage Harriet defied her owner by not helping him restrain an escapee. She was beaten so badly she suffered seizures and headaches for the rest of her life. That moment of fear gave her the strength to come to an important decision; in 1848 she herself escaped to the North and to freedom in Philadelphia.

But once in Pennsylvania, Harriet didn’t rest on her laurels. She returned to the South several times to facilitate countless rescue missions. Harriet didn’t just save her family, but friends, and even passersby. She had an impressive track record – not losing a single person under her protection. Harriet’s pals at the Underground Railroad credited her recipe for success: cleverness (she would often use disguises), diligence (Harriet had a great understanding of her surroundings), and bravery. This trio of attributes were useful to the Army during the Civil War. Harriet was asked to use this recipe once more and help soldiers understand the countryside geography (all very critical information for battle planning). After the conflict ended, Harriet continued the good fight, championing causes such as women’s suffrage, access to education for all, and property rights for the freed slaves. If there was a cause aimed at helping the marginalized, there was a good chance Harriet was involved. When she passed away in 1913, she was buried with military honors. This was definitely a unique honor for an African American woman, but fitting given her sacrifice and impact.

Try and put yourself in Harriet’s shoes for one moment – as a young girl her family was divided up, she felt abandoned, forced into a life where she was a voiceless participant, she suffered abuse, and then one day she made the decision to risk all for the most basic right: the freedom to live one’s own life. Despite all those obstacles, she went on to risk the very thing she worked so hard for, to not just save other people – but to give them the chance to start their own lives. Wow. Just reminds you how much one woman can truly impact the world. It goes without saying that no matter how the poll results could have ended, a great choice would have been made. But I am overjoyed that Harriet was the top choice. We can learn a lot from her story and I truly hope I see her face staring back at me on a 20 dollar bill, reminding me to be brave. Reminding me that I need to think beyond my own needs and help those around me.

Voting may be over, but there are still lots of great ways to get involved in this campaign – check out how to spread the word. And I want to leave you with a question, something that’s been on my mind (especially given Hilary Clinton’s recent political updates). Do you think we would be talking about this if we had a female president? Does a gender need to graduate to that level of political recognition for these kinds of accolades to fall into place? Here’s a list of countries where women have risen to the top tier of leadership – it’d be fun to see if their currencies reflect a more equitable division of genders…

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