Are Tubman $20s for real?

There are some things that I never thought I would see in my lifetime; at the top of the list was a black president of the United States.

Almost eight years have passed since the historic event, and I still have to pinch myself to make sure I’m not dreaming.

Now, it seems I may live to witness yet another unimaginable scenario, one that will make shopping a lot more pleasant.

The U.S. Treasury Department announced Wednesday that the great abolitionist Harriet Tubman would become the new face of the U.S. $20 bill, replacing former President Andrew Jackson, who will be moved to the back of the paper currency. The makeover should be completed by 2020, said Treasury Secretary Jacob J. Lew.

In other changes to U.S. currency, President Abraham Lincoln will remain on the front of the $5 bill, but the back will be revamped to depict historic events at the Lincoln Memorial such as Opera singer Marian Anderson's 1939 concert and Martin Luther King Jr.'s 1963 "I Have a Dream" speech. The back of the $10 bill will feature woman suffragists such as Lucretia Mott, Sojourner Truth, Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Alice Paul.

When I heard the news I was ecstatic. America has come a long way, I thought, and it’s about time that our national symbols better reflect the country’s rich diversity. That Tubman, a former slave, will replace Jackson, a slave owner whose policies led to the deaths of thousands of Native Americans, makes the switch even sweeter, the irony inescapable.

Some people, of course, are not happy with the Treasury’s decision. They cite Jackson’s status as a U.S. president and the long-standing tradition of his face on the $20 bill as reasons for their objections. For some, it will take getting used to, for sure; but that’s the price of progress.

I’m excited about the change for several reasons. The first is Tubman’s extraordinary contribution to this country through her fearless pursuit of freedom, not just for herself, but hundreds of others whom she liberated through the Underground Railroad.

I also like the fact that Tubman is both black and a woman, two characteristics that we have in common. It’s interesting that the announcement came at a time when America may soon transition from its first black to its first female president. Seeing Tubman’s face every time I break a $20 will be a reminder that the contributions we all make to this country matter.

My final reason for celebrating the Treasury’s decision has to do with my Caribbean heritage. The initial plan was to put the face of a woman on the $10 bill, replacing Alexander Hamilton, the first U.S. Secretary of the Treasury. Hamilton is a native of Nevis, the small Caribbean island where my mother was born. I’ve always taken pride in the fact that Nevis produced one of America’s founding fathers. So I wasn’t crazy about removing him from the currency.

In a strange twist of fate, Hamilton’s life is now the subject of a popular Broadway musical bearing his name, which spared him from being replaced.

Soon, I’ll be able to spend both $10s and $20s with glee. That’s if I’m not dreaming, of course.

This story was originally published April 21, 2016 at 5:47 PM with the headline "Are Tubman $20s for real?."