Barbara Lee
Oakland Groups Urge Local Financial Institutions to Order Maya Angelou Quarter from U.S. Mint
Recognizing the significance of the American Women Quarters (AWQ) Program to the communities we serve, the collective is acting to make sure communities are aware of these significant coins and that they are readily available at local financial institutions.
By Post Staff
Several Oakland non-profits, businesses and organizations are calling on the community to urge local financial institutions to order the newly released Maya Angelou quarter from the United States Mint.
The request can help ensure availability, maximum exposure and record high circulation in the community and have the extraordinary and considerable ability to make a powerful statement by ensuring the visibility of these historic coins.
Recognizing the significance of the American Women Quarters (AWQ) Program to the communities we serve, the collective is acting to make sure communities are aware of these significant coins and that they are readily available at local financial institutions.
Included in the collective are the Oakland African American Chamber of Commerce; the Women’s Council of Associated Real Property Brokers; the Oakland Chapter of the NAACP; Black Women Organized for Political Action (BWOPA); the International Longshore Warehouse Union, Local 10; the San Francisco Bay Area Chapter, National Black MBA Association; 100 Black Men of the Bay Area and the National Coalition of 100 Black Women Inc. Oakland/Bay Area Chapter.
The U.S. Mint has begun shipments of the first coins in the AWQ) Program, starting with the one honoring the late writer, Maya Angelou.
Authorized by the Circulating Collectible Coin Redesign Act of 2020, the U.S.Mint implemented the new four-year program after the law was signed into law last year. The bipartisan legislation was introduced by Congresswoman Barbara Lee along with Rep. Anthony Gonzalez (R-OH) and Senators Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV) and Deb Fischer (R-NE).
Maya Angelou’s writing and activism inspired countless Americans and her legacy helped fuel greater fairness and understanding across our nation.
This coin will ensure generations of Americans learn about Maya Angelou’s books and poetry that spoke to the lived experience of Black women. Coin and currency document history, but to date, the contributions of many women have been disregarded. Circulating coins dedicated to celebrating American women and their contributions to American history is important and must be underscored.
The circulating quarters honoring Maya Angelou are manufactured at the mint facilities in Philadelphia and Denver. Coins featuring additional honorees will begin shipping later this year and through 2025.
