An Honor Fit for a General

The decision to put Harriet Tubman on the front of the twenty dollar bill and remodel the backs of the five and ten dollar bills to include activists, artists, and civil rights leaders—all female except for Martin Luther King, Jr.—is a fitting remembrance of true national heroes and a significant improvement over earlier plans. The striking symbolism of the decision is also, however, a stark reminder of the challenges that persist for women and minorities in America. As we applaud this change and continue working for more nuanced commemorations of American history, we must remain vigilant against inequity in our own time.

As a matter of policy, the design changes reflect a necessary rethinking of an earlier plan to displace Alexander Hamilton from the front of the ten dollar bill. Replacing Andrew Jackson, a slave holder and the author of genocidal policies against native peoples, makes far more sense. The only criticisms to be made of the current plan are the length of time it will take to go into effect and the awkwardness of keeping Jackson on the back of a bill that includes a former slave. While practical considerations take precedence, we hope that the these changes occur as quickly as possible and that the Treasury reconsiders Jackson’s continued place on the currency.

That said, placing Tubman, a former slave and ardent abolitionist, on the twenty is a welcome tribute to the kind of hero that deserves more recognition in the national consciousness. Not only did Tubman overcome the barriers erected in front of people of her race and gender, but she largely did so by force of arms, helping to plan John Brown’s raid on Harper’s Ferry and later leading Union troops. It is little wonder that Brown called her “General Tubman”—indeed, as one National Geographic writer notes, she was “the first woman in U.S. history to lead a military expedition.” A trailblazer in every respect who gave no quarter in her struggle against established oppression, Tubman more than deserves this kind of recognition.

Harvard students should also note Tubman’s ties to Boston and her slightly more attenuated ones to Harvard itself. Tubman helped organize the 54th Massachusetts—the first regiment of African-American soldiers recruited by the Union—and was with it at the disastrous Battle of Fort Wagner, South Carolina. One of the dead that day was the regiment’s colonel, Robert Gould Shaw, who had dropped out of Harvard to serve his country. His name can be seen in Memorial Hall today.

Part of considering this history means redoubling efforts to memorialize it. Just as universities are grappling with the integral role slavery played in their early histories, government at all levels must initiate a similar process of remembrance, in part by elevating the stature of figures like Tubman in America’s national pantheon. Going forward, all Americans—and especially young Americans—have a role to play in sustaining the increased historical consciousness that has catalyzed changes on campuses and beyond.

Finally, as this change rolls out, we must consider the unfinished nature of the struggle initiated by Tubman and the other leaders who will join her on the currency. White women continue to earn, on average, 76 cents for every dollar earned by a white man, and for black women that number drops to 60 cents. For Latinas, it is 55. These statistics are the inescapable economic consequences of discrimination that symbolic changes to our currency, however significant, cannot fix. Public policy solutions are the sole way to undo such injustices. While celebrating Tubman and the many other women and people of color who have played decisive roles in American history is crucial, so too is ensuring the continuation of their efforts.