I was excited to see the news yesterday that the Secretary of the Treasury has selected Harriet Tubman to be on the front of the $20 bill when it is redesigned in 2020. In my opinion, a great choice, and others certainly agree as she was the clear winner of an online poll. There is some ongoing disappointment that this change will not happen as soon as an earlier commitment to changing the $10 bill, and there is no end of opinions about the coming changes to the backs of the $5 and $10 bills. I am sure that these conversations, which are quite interesting, will go on for a while.
What will it mean to have Harriet Tubman, a woman of color, gracing the $20 bill in the year 2020? I imagine that for women and girls, for people of color, quite frankly for all of us, that this is another moment when we will broaden our views and when we will deepen our understanding of what it means to be “American;” when we will acknowledge that our public definition lags far behind our reality. To children born in 2016, who will enter LREI’s Fours class in 2020, an African American woman, who was born into slavery, escaped, and then led countless others to freedom, will be the only person they know as the face on the $20 bill. There is no question in my mind that this will be impactful.
A last thought. What does it mean that the last two women to be chosen to be pictured on American currency, both people of color, Tubman yesterday and Sacagawea in 2000, were guides, leading others out of “the wilderness?” A powerful image, of powerful women, especially for those who are observing a holiday, beginning tomorrow, that is focused on another journey and the guide who led the way. I also wonder who your children suggest should be the next new face to grace American bills and coins. Who do they see as having such a significant impact as to deserve this honor? Ask them. Let me know what they say.
Little Red School House and Elisabeth Irwin High School has a long history of involvement in social justice movements. Whether it was welcoming adults who had been blacklisted from their chosen profession or making space for children from segregated schools, LREI has long participated in efforts to bring equal rights to all—one voice joining with others to advocate for large scale change. Visibility: Lesbian and Gay People We Love, a photo exhibit organized by the Parents Association’s Lesbian/Gay/Straight Alliance, is an action in the same vein. Families, alumni, faculty members have donated photos and captions and this year’s exhibit will be as uplifting as those in the past.
We host this exhibit to give voice and hope to those who must hide part of themselves from family, friends, and colleagues. I have never had to hide who I love from anyone. As a matter of fact, society has always encouraged me to be open about this part of my life – from the day of my first middle school crush to the day of my marriage. For many, it is hard to imagine being among those people who risk rejection and injury for sharing this particular joy with family and friends.
As we approach this year’s exhibit, I want to share answers to questions that I have been asked by members of the LREI community.
- Is the photo exhibit still necessary now that same sex marriage is legal and the Defense of Marriage Act has been repealed?While this is a question we have asked ourselves as many laws have changed, these laws continue to be challenged. These rights continue to be questioned. In addition, as a community of young people, we need to remain in the struggle for the safety and well-being of LGBTQ youth who continue to be victims of bias, bullying, and violence, and who often find intolerance within their own families. There are still laws and minds to change, and families to educate. For more information about safe schools and anti-bullying efforts visit
- Why doesn’t the photo exhibit invite pictures from all families at LREI?While this would make for a warm and wonderful exhibit, and does so in other schools, such an exhibit would suggest that all families are equal. While I believe this to be true, that love and caring are powerful and wonderful no matter who is sharing them, it is essential to remember that while all love may be equal, not all love is treated equally, not all families have the same rights and that some people have to hide their true selves or run the risk of emotional or physical assault. We choose to highlight those who do not always find themselves in the mainstream.
- Is this exhibit appropriate for our youngest students?It is. As you view the photos in the exhibit a number of themes will emerge for you–dignity, friendship, equality and courage, among others. But most of all, the theme or feeling or emotion that you will take away from viewing these beautiful photographs is love—love for family and friends and parents and children—and I can think of no reason that, of all things, we should ever question the appropriateness of love, the power of love, the importance of love and the right to love, and whether our Fours are too young to discuss it.
- Love, but sex as well, no?No. When younger students see these photos they see friends and loved ones. They see smiles and laughter. Might they ask a question about how two mommies or two daddies can have a baby? Sure.There are many answers to this question that do not stretch what is appropriate or comfortable to discuss with younger kids. If we are going to change the way in which people are treated, if we are going to put an end to discrimination, then we have to begin with the youngest members of our community and not wait until the adults in the world have been able to impart their bigotry.