Celia Cruz Will Be The First Afro-Latina To Appear On US Quarter

Source: Gie Knaeps / Getty

The face of legendary Latin singer Celia Cruz will soon adorn the U.S. quarter.

According to NPR, the U.S. Mint will commemorate Cruz and five other historic honorees as part of the American Women Quarters Program for 2024. The initiative will celebrate the accomplishments of powerful women across literature, entertainment and activism. This will be historic for the late Cuban hitmaker, as she will be the first Afro-Latina to appear on the U.S quarter.

According to the report, the U.S. Mint will also celebrate the historic contributions of Patsy Takemoto Mink, the first woman of color to serve in Congress; Dr. Mary Edwards Walker, a Civil War surgeon and suffragist; Pauli Murray, a civil rights activist and lawyer and Zitkala-Ša, a voting rights activist from the Yankton Sioux Nation.

“All of the women being honored have lived remarkable and multi-faceted lives, and have made a significant impact on our Nation in their own unique way,” Mint Director Ventris C. Gibson shared in a statement.

“The women pioneered change during their lifetimes, not yielding to the status quo imparted during their lives. By honoring these pioneering women, the Mint continues to connect America through coins which are like small works of art in your pocket.”

All of the coins designed under the American Women Quarters Program will debut sometime in mid-2023.

The history of Celia Cruz

Celia Cruz was a Cuban-American salsa singer and one of the most popular Latin artists of the 20th century. She was known for her powerful and distinctive voice and energetic stage presence. The iconic singer was eventually dubbed the “Queen of Salsa” for her outstanding contributions to the genre.

Born in Havana, Cuba in 1925, Cruz launched her career as a singer in the 1940s, performing with several popular Cuban bands. In the 1950s, she emigrated to the United States, where she continued to perform and record music, eventually becoming one of the most successful Latin artists of all time. Cruz’s hefty musical catalog includes hits like “Quimbara,” “Bemba Colora” and “Cucula.”

Throughout her career, the decorated artist won numerous awards and honors, including five Grammys and 23 gold records. She was also inducted into the International Latin Music Hall of Fame. Cruz passed away in 2003 at the age of 77.

The U.S. Mint has honored several women of color since the launch of the American Women’s Quarters. Last year, the organization commemorated Maya Angelou with her very own quarter. Nina Otero-Warren, an activist from New Mexico’s suffrage movement and the first female superintendent of Santa Fe public schools, was also bestowed with a coin under the program.

Categories: Celebrity News