Shutterstock.com (background); Gado/Getty Images (Wells); Bettmann Archive/Getty Images (Gibson, Low); Courtesy of the Milbern family (Milbern); Courtesy of Carnegie Science (Rubin); U.S. Mint (quarters)

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Faces of Change

Five new quarters honor American women who made history.

As You Read, Think About: Which woman would you pick to appear on a U.S. quarter?

Since 2022, more than 6 billion quarters have been produced in the U.S. Every one of them shows a female trailblazer on the back. They’re part of the American Women Quarters Program. The U.S. Mint (the government agency in charge of making coins) is releasing the last five coins of the series this year. The program honors a diverse group of women. They’ve made important contributions to culture, science, the fight for women’s rights, and more. 

Here’s a look at the five women the Mint is highlighting this year.

Gado/Getty Images

Ida B. Wells

Born: July 16, 1862

Died: March 25, 1931

Though she was born into slavery, Wells went on to become one of the most important journalists of the late 1800s and early 1900s. 

She began her career at a time when it was common for Black people in the South to be killed because of their skin color. Wells risked her life to report about these crimes, which often went unpunished. In 1892, a racist mob burned down the office of her newspaper in Memphis, Tennessee. 

But Wells didn’t let the threats stop her from standing up for people who felt voiceless. She continued to shine a spotlight on the injustices Black Americans faced. 

Bettmann Archive/Getty Images

Althea Gibson

Born: August 25, 1927

Died: September 28, 2003

At age 13, Gibson got her first tennis racket. No one could have predicted then that she would become the sport’s first Black star, male or female. Gibson went on to win five singles titles at tennis’s biggest tournaments, called Grand Slams. 

Gibson’s sports career continued after she retired from tennis. In 1963, she became the first Black golfer in the Ladies Professional Golf Association. 

Still, Gibson’s biggest impact was on the tennis court. She led the way for future Black players. 

“For me, she was the most important pioneer for tennis,” Serena Williams said in 2020. “She opened up so many doors.” 

Courtesy of the Milbern family

Stacey Park Milbern

Born: May 19, 1987 

Died: May 19, 2020

Milbern was born with muscular dystrophy, a disorder that weakens muscles over time. She walked with a limp until she began using a wheelchair in middle school.

In her teens, Milbern became a disability rights advocate. In 2007, she helped get a law passed in North Carolina. It requires public schools to teach about disability history.

Milbern spent the rest of her life fighting for the rights of people with disabilities. She is the first Korean American to appear on U.S. currency, or money. 

Bettmann Archive/Getty Images

Juliette Gordon Low

Born: October 31, 1860

Died: January 17, 1927

In 1912, Low started the Girl Scouts of the USA. The Boy Scouts had been founded two years earlier. Low thought girls should have their own space to have fun and help their communities. She also wanted girls to learn skills that would build confidence and help them become strong leaders. 

What started as a small gathering of 18 kids in Savannah, Georgia, has grown into global organization. Today there are Girl Scouts in more than 90 countries. Low’s goal of helping girls achieve their dreams lives on.

Courtesy of Carnegie Institution for Science Archives

Vera Rubin

Born: July 23, 1928

Died: December 25, 2016

Growing up, Rubin loved staring at the night sky. Her father helped her build her first telescope. But when she became an astronomer in the late 1940s, not everyone was so supportive.

At the time, there were few female scientists, and Rubin’s work was often overlooked by the men in her field. 

Eventually her research couldn’t be ignored. By studying dozens of galaxies in the 1960s, Rubin and fellow astronomer Kent Ford proved the existence of dark matter. That’s an invisible substance that makes up more than 80 percent of the universe and acts as a glue that holds it together.

The Vera C. Rubin Observatory in Chile, a country in South America, will begin operating later this year. It’s one of the many places where scientists will continue to study dark matter and other mysteries of the universe.

1. What is the purpose of the American Women Quarters Program?

2. According to the article, how did Ida B. Wells risk her life in her work as a journalist?

3. Choose two of the women featured in the article. Describe one way they or their experiences are similar and one way they are different.

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