Celia Cruz: Late Salsa legend known for her anthem ‘Azucar!’ to become first Afro-Latina to appear on US Quarter
WASHINGTON, DC: Celia Cruz, a legend of the Salsa genre, will now be included in an exclusive club which comprises Maya Angelou, Sally Ride, and Eleanor Roosevelt. The late singer is going to be on fresh US quarter, as reported by the United States Mint last week. The five-time Grammy winner and recipient of numerous accolades, Celia Cruz is among four other notable women in the 2024 American Women Quarters Program. As per the press release, the designs will be released this year in mid-2023.
The other women to be honored under the program are Patsy Takemoto Mink, Dr Mary Edwards Walker, Pauli Murray, and Zitkala-Ša. "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 Ventris Gibson, Mint Director, 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."
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The late Cuban American singer Celia Cruz is set to make history as the first Afro-Latina to appear on the U.S. quarter, later this year. pic.twitter.com/b291C6BQnx
— Pop Base (@PopBase) February 8, 2023
Identifying ethnically, racially, and geographically diverse individuals
According to The American Women Quarters Program, which was launched in 2022 and will be functional till 2025, The US Mint will release five new quarters every year. It aims to identify ethnically, racially, and geographically diverse individuals, and celebrate their accomplishments and fields. The program also covers arenas, such as suffrage, civil rights, abolition, government, humanities, science, space, and the arts. The US Mint further said in its public release, “This groundbreaking coin program is an excellent way to remind future generations what can be accomplished with vision, determination, and a desire to improve opportunities for all.”
Maya Angelou, a well-known prolific poet, and civil rights activist became the first Black woman to appear in the US quarter last year. The other women to appear to include Dr Sally Ride, the first woman elected principal chief of the Cherokee Nation Wilma Mankiller; the first female superintendent of Santa Fe, N.M., public schools Nina Otero-Warren; and the first Chinese American film star in Hollywood Anna May Wong, reports People.
What is United States Mint?
US Congress formed the United States in 1792, and it was included in the Department of the Treasury in 1873. The Mint handles the production of circulating coinage for the nation to carry its trade and commerce.