It was widely expected that President Obama or Martin Luther King would be placed on US currency as the first African-American since they are the most suitable candidates.
But to the surprise of many, US Treasury Department said on Wednesday that Harriet Tubman will be the first African-American on the face of US paper currency.
Tubman will replace former US President Andrew Jackson on 20 dollar bill. The new notes will be introduced in circulation by 2020.
Harriet Tubman is anti-slavery crusader born in 1820s. She fought for enslaved black Americans to be freed and even helped them escape. Harriet herself was born a slave.
Credit: New York Times
