There are some truths I know to be absolute: gas station sushi is a bad idea, Betty White is a national treasure, and the internet is full of racist people. And if you need proof of that third claim, look no further than the internet’s response to the Treasury Department’s announcement that Harriet Tubman will be replacing Andrew Jackson on the $20 bill.

First of all–this shouldn’t come as a surprise. Plans to redesign the most commonly used bills have been underway for some time, and the push to place a female face on American currency has been a longstanding effort. Additionally, Tubman won’t be the only woman to be featured on paper currency come the 2020 redesign–according to WIRED:

And so Hamilton will remain on the face (you can thank, or blame, the hit musical Hamilton for that), while the obverse will feature abolitionists and women’s rights activists Lucretia Mott, Sojourner Truth, Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, and Alice Paul. The $5 bill is changing as well, to ‘honor historic events that occurred at the Lincoln Memorial in service of our democracy,’ according to the Treasury. The Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., Marian Anderson, and Eleanor Roosevelt will appear on the bill.

However, it’s the Tubman addition that the internet is freaking out about, and while a lot of reactions have been overwhelmingly positive, there are plenty of jerks responding with bigotry, racism, and general idiocy. Here’s some examples:

@FoxNews who in the world is that? Never heard of her & don’t want her on the money period. I will refuse any $20 bill with that on it #tcot

— thetruthishere (@marctyler30) April 20, 2016

The Wonkette collected some charming examples from the comment sections of articles written about the addition of Tubman to the $20; here are some particularly vomit-worthy standouts from an article written by Jim Hoft on the Gateway Pundit:

I would think the EBT card would be more appropriate.

Can you guess how many of them will be defaced… and how fast? As much as they try to rid the enword from our language, this will increase it’s use exponentially.

this will go the way of the sacagawea golden dollar. i will not accept a twenty dollar bill until it has jackson back on it. give me 10’s and 50’s…i’ll deal with it…you should too. these self serving racist do gooders must be stopped

Here’s, of course, a call for our future savior Donald Trump to step in and put an end to the malarky:

@FoxNews

Whats next, There is nothing in this country that is good enough anymore. We need Trump to stop all the PC crap.

— OhReally (@OhReally22) April 20, 2016

It wasn’t just the anonymous people on the internet getting involved in the debate. Talking head Greta Van Susteren went on a rant last night on Fox about how the addition of Tubman on our $20 bill and removing Jackson is “dividing the country” and “creating a completely unnecessary fight,” which is amusing given that she propagated a fight that didn’t actually exist by bringing it up on her show. 

And then, of course, you have Republican hopeful himself, Donald Trump, who came out against putting Tubman on the $20 as “pure political correctness,” suggesting that she be featured on the $2 bill instead. He also defended Jackson, the man who was responsible for the Trail of Tears saying that he should remain on the $20. 

America, this is why we can’t have nice things. 

Anneliese Mahoney

Anneliese Mahoney is Managing Editor at Law Street and a Connecticut transplant to Washington D.C. She has a Bachelor’s degree in International Affairs from the George Washington University, and a passion for law, politics, and social issues. Contact Anneliese at amahoney@LawStreetMedia.com.

The post Of Course There are Racist Responses to Harriet Tubman on the $20 Bill appeared first on Law Street.

The Treasury Department made history Wednesday when it announced its decision to have a woman on a new version of the $10 bill. This move marks an important step forward for the equality of men and women in American history.

In a press release on the topic, Treasury Secretary Jack Lew stated:

America’s currency is a way for our nation to make a statement about who we are and what we stand for. Our paper bills–and the images of great American leaders and symbols they depict—have long been a way for us to honor our past and express our values. 

We have only made changes to the faces on our currency a few times since bills were first put into circulation, and I’m proud that the new 10 will be the first bill in more than a century to feature the portrait of a woman.

The new bill will be released in 2020, exactly one century after the 19th Amendment guaranteed women the right to vote.

There have already been several advocates for a female face on U.S. paper currency. Earlier this year the Women on 20s campaign was launched, with the goal of getting a woman on the $20 bill by 2020. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) introduced a bill directing Lew to “convene a panel of citizens” to recommend an appropriate person. The campaign conducted a ten week poll in May to find out which woman Americans wanted to see represented, with Harriet Tubman finishing in first place.

It doesn’t appear that the Treasury Department will take the Women on 20s campaign’s advice on who the new bill should feature. Instead, officials plan to hold town hall meetings and roundtable discussions to discuss “what qualities best represent democracy to help guide the design process.”

The Treasury Department is also accepting social media submissions using the hashtag #TheNew10, and through comments posted to a dedicated part of the Treasury website, with the decision announced later this year.

The decision made by the Treasury Department has certainly been a win for those who advocate for women’s rights. Placing a woman’s face on the $10 bill will celebrate a female leader in a very public way, which is a long time coming. Over the past century, a few women have been featured on currency, including Susan B. Anthony and Sacagawea. But they have been limited to dollar coins, a currency that does not really receive prominent circulation.

Secretary Lew’s press release referred to how currency reflect the country’s values. The point is well taken, because while women have made notable progress in the United States, there is still more work to be done. The gender imbalance among the country’s leaders can be found in the lack of CEOs on the Fortune 500 list and, the absence of women leading tech companies, or even their lack of presence within our government. There also still exists a persistent wage gap between the sexes. The presence of high profile female leaders and role models can have a significant impact on increasing the leadership skills and educational attainments of young girls and women. Even though the United States is taking in step toward elevating the lesser told stories of important female leaders, this step is long overdue.

Angel Idowu

Angel Idowu is a member of the Beloit College Class of 2016 and was a Law Street Media Fellow for the Summer of 2015. Contact Angel at staff@LawStreetMedia.com.

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