Why Does Harriet Tubman's Legacy Scare Them So Much?

Back in 2019, when the Treasury delayed the Harriet Tubman redesign of the twenty-dollar bill, I asked my students how they felt. A few responses have stuck with me ever since:

“As a Black woman, it would make me feel more appreciated and valued… seeing a woman of color on currency would change things up for the better.”

“You can tell girls, ‘You can be whatever you want to be.’ But what do they see? They see you can’t.”

I wrote all about this in my article, “Representation, Currency, and Generation Z” (Public Seminar, June 5, 2019).

I reflected on the U.S. Treasury's decision to delay the release of the redesigned $20 bill featuring Harriet Tubman, and I connected that delay to broader issues of representation and equity in American history. I highlighted how this move sent a powerful—and disheartening—message to young people, particularly my Gen Z students, about whose stories are prioritized and whose are sidelined.

I want to note that I wrote that piece in 2019—during Trump 1.0, before the global pandemic, before the Summer of 2020 George Floyd/Black Lives Matter protests, and before the national reckoning over Confederate monuments and historical memory — one that’s only been supercharged during Trump 2.0.

Rereading it now, six years later, it takes on new meaning. It is still just as important for young people to see themselves—and the full complexity of American history—reflected not just in classroom lessons, but also in our national symbols.

And yet, here we are again. The Trump Administration is working overtime to aggressively blot out this history—from our classrooms, our cultural institutions, our government websites, and our public square. Harriet Tubman has once again become a target. Her image was even scrubbed from a National Park Service webpage meant to honor her role in the Underground Railroad. It was only after public outcry that the original content was restored. (By the way, keep it up!)

But we all know this isn’t just about a webpage. It’s about control over the American story and the ongoing attempt to whitewash our national narrative. When you erase Harriet Tubman, you’re not just erasing a single woman—you’re erasing a legacy of resistance, liberation, and the essential role of Black women’s leadership and stunning bravery. This erasure is intentional. These stories threaten their malicious attempts to dismantle our democracy. Look at the voter suppression laws that they just passed in the House today as well as the ongoing book bans and curriculum censorship. Also, here is a great article The End of College Life by Ian Bogost (The Atlantic Monthly, March 30, 2025) about Trump’s attacks on American universities.

One of their most dangerous MAGA lies is that teaching and learning these truths about American history is “divisive.” In reality, it’s the opposite. By confronting our complex past and uplifting the diverse stories that shape this country—by celebrating those voices in our textbooks, on our currency, and in our monuments—we tell the real story of what makes America truly great.

There is still hope for a Tubman $20 Bill. On Harriet Tubman Day (March 29, 2025) U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) renewed her decade-long push to put Harriet Tubman on the $20 bill by introducing the Harriet Tubman Tribute Act. This bill was first introduced a decade ago in 2015. There is also the Woman on the Twenty Act of 2023 (H.R. 4010), introduced by Representative Al Green (D-TX). Shaheen’s bill is more symbolic and long-term whereas H.R. 4010 (2023) is more targeted with a specific deadline and implementation plan. We shall see!

I will leave you with one more quote from a former student, featured in my 2019 article:

“I have grown up with the idea that people like me have little worth, so seeing someone that looks like me on a twenty-dollar bill will stop the taught cycle that a girl’s value is defined only by her beauty. We can finally have female role models recognized for their contributions to the world.”