Story at a glance
- Celia Cruz will make history by becoming the first Afro-Latina on a piece of U.S. currency.
- Cruz and four other women will be honored with a quarter in 2024.
- Designs of the coin will be released by the U.S. Mint later this year.
The Queen of Salsa, Celia Cruz, will make history by becoming the first Afro-Latina on U.S. currency.
Cruz’s portrait will be featured on a new quarter set to be released in 2024, the U.S. Mint announced earlier this month.
Born in Havana in 1925, the “La Vida es un Carnaval” singer was one of the most popular artists of the 20th century and received numerous accolades for her work, including five Grammy awards and a National Medal of Arts.
America is changing faster than ever! Add Changing America to your Facebook or Twitter feed to stay on top of the news.
Cruz is one of five people being honored by the U.S. Mint as part of its American Women Quarters Program, which launched in 2022 and will continue until 2025. The other four women honored are Patsy Takemoto Mink, the first woman of color to serve in Congress; Mary Edwards Walker, a Civil War surgeon and women’s rights activist; Pauli Murray, Civil Rights activist and lawyer; and Zitkala-Ša, a Native American rights and voting activist from the Yankton Sioux Nation.
“All of the women being honored have lived remarkable and multi-faceted lives, and have made a significant impact on our Nation in their own unique way,” said Mint Director Ventris C. Gibson in a statement.
“The women pioneered change during their lifetimes, not yielding to the status quo imparted during their lives. By honoring these pioneering women, the Mint continues to connect America through coins which are like small works of art in your pocket.”
Designs for the 2024 quarters will be released later this year.
Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
