The late poet Maya Angelo became the first African American woman to appear on U.S. currency

According to the Guardian, a 25-cent coin bearing the image of the famous late poet Maya Angelo began to circulate. The author, who wrote "I Know Why caged birds sing," will also be the first black woman to land on U.S. currency.

Reporter | Liu Yaguang

On January 10, cent coins bearing angelo's image began circulating. On the coin, a bird in flight and the rising sun serve as a background behind angelo with open arms. According to the U.S. Mint, Angelo's figurative gesture was "inspired by her poetry and the way she practiced."

American writer and poet Maya Angelo Source: The Guardian

Angelo is an American poet, writer, teacher and director. Born in 1928, she has published six autobiographies, five essays, several poetry collections, and has written for several plays and films. She was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize in 1973 and has also won three Grammy Awards. Angelo's life was legendary, he worked in multiple professions, and was active in the public eye as an anti-racist, having worked closely with Martin Luther King Jr. In 1993, she was invited to recite poetry at Clinton's presidential inauguration.

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings is Angelo's most important work, an autobiographical memoir. Angelo recalls growing up in a small town in the American South in the 1930s. As a black woman, she needs to face a series of challenges and setbacks such as racial discrimination and sexual harassment at a young age, and these setbacks eventually become the theme of her writing and profoundly affect her life choices.

"Every time a new image of the currency is designed, it's an opportunity to re-talk about our country — what our culture values and why our society is progressing," said U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen. According to The Guardian, Angelo's theme is the first coin in circulation planned by US Mint's American Women Quarters. Later this year, a series of themed coins, including the first American female astronaut, Dr. Sally Ride, will also begin circulating. After Democratic Congresswoman Barbara Lee introduced a bill, the American public was invited to submit the names of women they thought should be stamped with coins.

"I will always cherish the personal time I spent with Maya as we talked in her living room about the challenges she faced as a black woman," Lee said, "I'm proud to honor extraordinary women with this effort, who are often overlooked when it comes to telling the history of our country." And if you're holding a 25-cent coin with the image of Maya Angelo, you can always remember her words: Make sure you don't die before you make a great contribution to humanity."

This is not the first time Angelo's image has become a totem for people to commemorate the affirmative action movement. In June last year, Mattel, a well-known American toy manufacturer, announced the sale of Barbie dolls with Angelo's image, and said that it would add dolls with the theme of women of color in the future to commemorate "women who have worked hard to change social stereotypes."

Reference Links:

https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/books/news/maya-angelou-us-coin-black-woman-b1990469.html

https://www.theguardian.com/books/2022/jan/11/maya-angelou-becomes-first-black-woman-to-appear-on-a-us-quarter

https://www.theguardian.com/books/2021/jan/20/maya-angelou-barbie-doll-launched-in-us