American Women and DEI
How US quarters honoring women could fall victim to anti-DEI initiatives
My wife Wendy and I attended a friend’s book launch last week—a poetry book, All Is the Telling by Rosa Castelleno. Rosa is a fabulous local Richmond, VA poet who’s a strong advocate and organizer in the Richmond poetry community. When Rosa greeted us by the door of the dimly lit performance space, Wendy handed her a quarter. “It’s a Pauli Murray quarter,” she said. “Do you know who she was?”
Rosa took the quarter into the palm of her hand, and said somewhat incredulously, “I just went to the Pauli Murray Center in Chapel Hill this past week.” A question, unspoken, “How did you know?” hung in the air. We didn’t know, but the coincidence made the gift even more powerful.
After inspecting the coin on both sides, Rosa looked up and asked, “Is this a real quarter?” Doubt oozed from her lips as if we had handed her a key and told her it unlocked the gates of heaven.
“Yes, it’s real,” Wendy replied.
“With George Washington on the flip side and everything,” I inserted.
“Annette gave them out at her recent book launch because they have the name of Pauli Murray’s memoir on it,” Wendy said as she pointed to the letters on the coin spelling out “Song in A Weary Throat.” Rosa squinted to see the tiny type.
“We thought you might like one.” Wendy added.
Rosa thanked us and slipped it into the pocket of her dress before moving on to greet other guests.
This Pauli Murray quarter, produced by the United States Mint, is part of a four-year series of commemorative quarters, called American Women Quarters. The US Treasury released the first set in 2022 and the last set a couple of months ago. They are real spendable quarters. In fact, I received one as change just the other day—remarkable that I was spending cash to begin with, and, even more remarkable that Pauli Murray found her way into the change I received.
Ove the past few years, I’ve purchased all four proof sets of five quarters each celebrating American women, and, in addition, we bought two bags of 100 Pauli Murray quarters to pass out to others at my book events (Living Into the Truth: A Daughter’s Journey of Discovery is available wherever books are sold).
I don’t remember how I learned about this series, but I’ve loved receiving them each year and learning about the women depicted on them. I’ll admit I knew only about half of the twenty, so I had to research the others (each name below is linked for more information). How many do you know?
2022
Maya Angelou - Poet, memoirist, and civil rights activist. *I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings* opened a new space in American literature for Black women’s voices.
Dr. Sally Ride - Physicist and first American woman in space. Later became an advocate for STEM education, especially for girls.
Wilma Mankiller- First female Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation. She focused on improving the lives of her people through health care, education, and self-governance.
Nina Otero-Warren - Suffragist and advocate for bilingual education in New Mexico. She was also the first Hispanic woman to run for U.S. Congress.
Anna May Wong- Hollywood’s first Chinese American film star. A trailblazer in the 1920s and ’30s, she confronted racism on and off the screen.
2023
Bessie Coleman - First African American and Native American woman pilot. She barnstormed across the country in the 1920s, inspiring a generation to fly.
Edith Kanakaʻole - Hawaiian cultural icon. Through hula, chant, and education, she preserved and passed on Native Hawaiian traditions.
Eleanor Roosevelt - First Lady, diplomat, and architect of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. She redefined the role of First Lady as a force for justice.
Jovita Idar - Journalist and activist in early 20th-century Texas. She fought for Mexican American civil rights and founded educational and feminist organizations.
Maria Tallchief - America’s first major prima ballerina and a member of the Osage Nation. She brought classical ballet to a new level of popularity in the U.S.
2024
Dr. Pauli Murray - Civil rights lawyer, Episcopal priest, and gender justice pioneer. Co-founded the National Organization for Women and influenced Thurgood Marshall’s legal arguments.
Patsy Takemoto Mink - First woman of color in Congress and co-author of Title IX, which advanced equity in education for women and girls.
Dr. Mary Edwards Walker- Civil War surgeon and only woman to receive the Medal of Honor. Also a fierce advocate for dress reform and women’s rights.
Celia Cruz- Afro-Cuban singer and the undisputed “Queen of Salsa.” Her music and style inspired generations, and her catchphrase “¡Azúcar!” became a cultural rallying cry.
Zitkala-Ša (Gertrude Simmons Bonnin) - Yankton Dakota writer, musician, and activist. She advocated for Native American rights and helped secure U.S. citizenship for Indigenous people.
2025
Ida B. Wells - Journalist and fierce anti-lynching crusader. She co-founded the NAACP and documented racial violence at great personal risk.
Juliette Gordon Low - Founder of the Girl Scouts of the USA. She envisioned an organization where girls could build courage, confidence, and character.
Dr. Vera Rubin - Astronomer whose research confirmed the existence of dark matter. A woman of science whose discoveries reshaped what we know about the universe.
Stacey Park Milbern - Disability justice advocate and community organizer. A queer Korean American, she co-founded the disability justice movement and transformed the conversation on access.
Althea Gibson - First Black athlete to win a Grand Slam title. She broke the color barrier in tennis and golf, opening doors for future champions.
The DEI Backstory
I suspect that most of you didn’t know this series existed, and to tell you the truth, I’m a little nervous about telling you. I’m afraid if the word gets out, they’ll fall victim to the DEI-scare that has engulfed our country. It’s only a matter of time.
The process for creating the series was initiated under the Circulating Collectible Coin Redesign Act of 2020, which authorized the U.S. Mint to issue up to five new quarter designs each year from 2022 through 2025, each featuring a prominent American woman. The selection of these women was overseen by the Secretary of the Treasury, who consulted with several key organizations, including:
The Smithsonian Institution’s American Women’s History Initiative
The National Women’s History Museum
The Congressional Bipartisan Women’s Caucus
In 2021, the U.S. Mint also invited the public to submit recommendations for potential honorees through a web portal established by the National Women’s History Museum, ensuring a broad and inclusive pool of candidates. The women selected for the program were chosen based on their significant contributions to the United States across a wide spectrum of accomplishments and fields.
The description of the quarters reads like an example taken from a DEI training manual:
The American Women Quarters reverse (tail) designs honor a diverse group of notable American women who made significant contributions in a variety of fields, including suffrage, civil rights, abolition, government, humanities, science, space, and the arts. The women honored are from ethnically, racially, and geographically diverse backgrounds.
Even the portrait of George Washington on the obverse was designed by a woman. According to the series description, the George Washington depiction on the head of the coin was “originally composed and sculpted by Laura Gardin Fraser as a candidate entry for the 1932 quarter, which honored the bicentennial of George Washington’s birth.” If the coins have to depict Washington—and I’m pretty sure they do—then this was a fabulous choice for a designer.
How can this obvious DEI effort survive the current administration? I’m not convinced it will. In fact, I’ll be honest with you that I’m finding it hard to hold out hope. At the same time, I will not give up believing in the power of strong women!
Stories of accomplished women, people of color, people with disabilities, LGBTQ people, and all other types of diversity matter. They help us connect with ourselves, help us to know who we are and what we can achieve. They help us survive challenging times when discrimination decimates everything in its path.
At the April 5th Hands Off March in Richmond earlier this month, I carried a sign which spoke to my commitment to DEI. It said, “Diversity is our Strength; Equity is our Duty; Inclusion is our Promise.”
That summarizes one of my core beliefs—something for which I will not waver (see This I Believe for more).
I encourage you to demand that these stories be told, that the Administration does all it can to uplift, rather than expunge the stories of people who have overcome obstacles to accomplish their dreams. They are true American heroes.
And while you’re doing that, I hope you’ll order your own sets of quarters. Show your support for women and women’s history. The 2022 Proof Set is already sold out at the Mint. I’d be shocked if they restocked it, but you can still get it from other coin vendors. To buy the 2023, 2024, and 2025 coins (including holiday ornaments) from the Mint, visit https://www.usmint.gov/coins/coin-programs/american-women-quarters-program/.
Enjoy them, pass them around, put one in your pocket that speaks to you, and let these women’s stories inspire you to speak out for what you believe in.
In hope and love,
Annette
Annette, you’ve done a huge service to all who read your posts. I had absolutely no idea these coins existed, and now I must have them. I,too, suspect the anti-DEI devils will squelch the production of these profoundly anti-bigotry symbols. Until they do, let’s spread the word of their existence!!
Oh, Cathy, that's so cool! You're on your way to a full set! I wasn't as lucky; I found six women quarters but only three different ones. Still great though! I use coins so rarely too, but I might start just to get these! LOL!