The Trump administration has quietly abandoned plans to feature Harriet Tubman on the $20 bill, a move that has been met with disappointment from lawmakers and advocates.

Background

Harriet Tubman was a prominent abolitionist and liberator who risked her life to fight for freedom in a nation built on the enslavement of her people. The plan to feature her on the $20 bill was seen as a milestone in the nation’s reckoning with its past.

Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) expressed disappointment in the decision, stating that commemorating Harriet Tubman would have been a powerful way to honor the women who helped build the country and bravely stood up for freedom and equality.

Broader Implications

The decision to shelve the Tubman bill is part of a broader campaign to muzzle Black voices and distort public memory. The Trump administration has dismantled diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts in federal agencies, scrubbed mentions of systemic racism from government training materials, and removed Black historical figures from federal websites.

The administration’s policies have been met with criticism from lawmakers and advocates, who argue that they represent an attempt to enforce silence and reassert white comfort as the norm.

Original reporting: The Washington Informer — read the source article.