Ida B. Wells’ unwavering commitment to justice is taking on a new form, one that will be held in the hands of millions.
The coin with her image on the reverse, or tails, was released into circulation this year and is part of the final year for the American Women Quarters Program that was introduced in late 2020.
Wells, whose great-granddaughter is a part-time instructor at Columbia College, was a Black journalist, activist and civil rights leader who led an anti-lynching crusade in the 1890s and whose investigative work set the foundation for the antebellum Black press.
The release of her coin, along with Juliette Gordon Low, Vera Rubin, Stacey Park Milbern and Althea Gibson, comes as President Trump pushes to end diversity, equity and inclusion in the federal government and to stop schools like Columbia College from offering any race-based programming.
Trump has ordered the Mint to halt the production of pennies but has not blocked the release yet of the U.S. quarters honoring women.
“To date, the U.S. Mint has shipped 28 million Ida B. Wells quarters in circulation with hundreds of millions on their way, and on average, 350 million quarters are minted for each honoree,” said Susan D. Whiting, chair of the board of the National Women’s History Museum in Washington, D.C. She also serves on the board and is a consultant to the U.S. Mint.
Whiting was in Chicago in mid-February for an event at the DuSable Black History Museum and Education Center honoring Wells. The program opened with a graphic flipping the custom front and back side of the commemorative coin.
Congress passed the The American Women Quarters Program in 2020 to select notable American women to feature on a series of quarter dollar coins over the span of four years, starting in 2021. Now in its final year, each of the women on these quarters are recognized with a unique reverse design.
“The children here today will never know a time before women were included in this prominent and powerful way,” Whiting said. “Now, when they reach into their pockets, they’ll find three trail blazing Chicago women.” The other two being Bessie Coleman, a pioneering aviator and the first African American woman to earn a pilot’s license and Maria Tallchief, the first Native American prima ballerina.
“We must know them, remember them, and share them, because their legacies deserve nothing less.”
The National Women’s History Museum previously invited public input, receiving over 11,000 suggestions for consideration. This year five women were chosen to be featured.
Kim Dulaney, vice president of education and programs at the DuSable Museum, spoke briefly expressing the powerful history and Chicago ties between Wells and Black writers.
“I want you to understand the humanity of her and that she was just like you are, a person who lived in a time when things were happening that she knew were wrong,” she said. “She dared to stand up, put her life on the line and give her life so that we could have this life today.”
The sentiment was echoed by featured guest Michelle Duster, great-granddaughter of Ida B. Wells, who took center stage following her brief appearance in “Ida B. Wells: A Chicago Stories Special Documentary.“
Duster, an author, part-time professor and historian, emphasized the importance of public history in combating historical erasure and the challenges faced in achieving recognition, due to resistance.
“Maybe it was the timing, there have been challenges when it comes to getting support. And I feel like some of the projects have taken way longer to get done than I ever thought they would,” said Duster, who has taught business writing in the School of Business and Entrepreneurship.
Duster previously wrote about celebrating her great-grandmother’s image as a reminder for how important it is to speak up for equal rights for all. Additionally, Duster initiated the “On The Wings of Change” mural on 33 E. Ida B Wells Dr. in 2021. She said a federal agency promoting the use of her great-grandmother’s image can have international impact.
“It’s a regular coin that’s in circulation as currency, and to have her image, her name and summary of the work that she did,” said Duster. “People look at their quarters, and potentially billions of people will at least hear her name.”
What students are saying:
The significance of Ida B. Wells’ legacy extends beyond historians and educators — her impact resonates deeply with younger generations at Columbia. Students reflected on what it means to see Wells honored in such a prominent way, and the importance of representation in everyday spaces like currency.
Sophomore and film and television major Olivia Watson says that having a Black female activist on the coin is not only a huge deal but also very memorable.
“It’s just really important to have those voices highlighted, people who have paved the way for us, especially someone as notable as Ida B. Wells,” said Watson. “We always see her face and we know her name, but do you really, like, know what she’s done?”
Some students found that while the quarter release shows a positive representation in history, interference from the government leads to reduction in overall impact.
“I do think it’s contradicting the fact that Trump has made the federal government stop acknowledging Black History Month and Women’s History Month,” said sophomore and creative writing major Nadia Salahuddin.
“Any kind of commemorative coin is a smokescreen for a larger issue, like those Sacagawea dollar coins that are basically impossible to find now.”
As Wells is honored on a national scale, her story serves as a reminder for the impact of her fearless journalism and that the fight for equality is far from over.
Copy edited by Manuel Nocera and Trinity Balboa
Resumen en Español:
La Casa de la Moneda de EE.UU., en colaboración con el Museo Nacional de Historia de la Mujer y el Museo DuSable de Historia Negra y Centro de Educación, lanzó una moneda de 25 centavos en honor a Ida B. Wells, periodista y activista de derechos civiles.
El evento en el Museo DuSable de Historia Negra y Centro de Educación destacó su legado y el impacto del programa American Women Quarters, que ha puesto en circulación 28 millones de estas monedas.
La historiadora Michelle Duster, bisnieta de Wells, subrayó la importancia de preservar su historia. La ceremonia incluyó proyecciones, discursos y presentaciones culturales, finalizando con la entrega de tableros conmemorativos a los asistentes.
Resumen en español por Doreen Abril Albuerne Rodriguez
Texto editado por Manuel Nocera
