![]() In hindsight, loving and admiring her was bound to happen, once I knew her story. My wonder at the life of Celia Sánchez, a revolutionary Cuban woman virtually unknown to Americans, has left me almost speechless. Nothing makes me more hopeful than discovering another human being to admire. This article is adapted from her introduction to Nancy Stout’s One Day in December: Celia Sánchez and the Cuban Revolution, forthcoming from Monthly Review Press. She has written several other novels and numerous short stories, essays, and poetry, including “The Story of Why I Am Here: Or, a Woman Connects Oppressions” in the June 1994 Monthly Review. Per the Times’ Isabella Simonetti, that change likely won’t happen for several years.Topics: Feminism Philosophy Places: Cuba Latin AmericaĪlice Walker’s Pulitzer-Prize-winning novel The Color Purple has been celebrated as a modern literary classic and was made into a film and theatrical musical. The Mint has also promised to put abolitionist Harriet Tubman on the $20 bill, though the process has faced delays. Past honorees include writer Maya Angelou, astronaut Sally Ride and actress Anna May Wong, who was the first Asian American to appear on U.S. By honoring these pioneering women, the Mint continues to connect America through coins which are like small works of art in your pocket.” ![]() Gibson, the Mint’s director, in the statement. “All of the women being honored have lived remarkable and multifaceted lives, and have made a significant impact on our nation in their own unique way,” says Ventris C. The Treasury secretary-in consultation with the Smithsonian’s American Women’s History Initiative, the National Women’s History Museum and the Congressional Bipartisan Women’s Caucus-selects the American Women Quarters Program honorees, according to the Mint’s website.Īlong with Cruz, four other women have been chosen as 2024 honorees: Patsy Takemoto Mink, the first woman of color to serve in Congress Pauli Murray, co-founder of the National Organization for Women Mary Edwards Walker, a Civil War surgeon and activist and Zitkala-Ša, a Native American rights activist. The renowned singer has also inspired U.S. ![]() The museum holds two of Cruz’s rumba dresses, known as bata cubana, in its collections, as well as a pair of custom-made gold platform shoes. Since December, Cruz’s legacy has been also celebrated as part of “Entertainment Nation,” an exhibition at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History that explores popular entertainment and how it reflects American history. The singer, Light adds, “wasn’t afraid to be loud and beautiful and colorful.” With her larger-than-life stage presence and fashion sense, Cruz “speaks to drag culture,” says drag performer Celia Light, whose stage name is inspired by Cruz, to Smithsonian. Her music, style and iconic catchphrase- ¡azúcar! (“sugar”)-continue to resonate with today’s audiences, including within drag communities, as Smithsonian magazine’s Jacquelyne Germain wrote in November. She added, “I think everybody can sing everything.” ![]() I don’t know why maybe they think it’s for men,” she told the New York Times’ Jon Pareles in 1985. She became a famous salsa performer at a time when most other leading performers were men. Cruz’s design will be announced in mid-2023.Ĭruz, who died in 2003 at age 77, was “one of the most popular Latin artists of the 20th century,” the Mint says in a statement.Ī rumba dress Cruz wore in many performances, which is now in the collections of the Smithsonian's National Museum of American Historyīorn in Havana, Cuba, in 1925, the award-winning singer, best known for songs like “ La Vida Es Un Carnaval” and “ Quimbara,” broke barriers to reach audiences around the world. ![]() Started in 2022 and continuing through 2025, the initiative will release up to five new designs each year. The Mint is honoring Cruz as part of its American Women Quarters Program. The renowned artist is the first Afro-Latina to receive the honor. Celia Cruz, the singer known as the “Queen of Salsa,” will be featured on United States quarters beginning in 2024, the U.S. ![]()
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