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Claudia

Claudia is our resident Colombian, with a passion for local news, entertainment and community, she is on air late nights on Y100 and produces Elvis...Full Bio

 

Celia Cruz To Be The First Afro-Latina On U.S. Currency

Cuban-born Celia Cruz (R) sings "La Negra Tiene Tu

Photo: Getty Images

Celia Cruz, “The Queen of Salsa", is making history by becoming the first afro-latina to be on U.S. currency. She's one of five honorees to be selected for the 2024 American Women Quarters Program.

The U.S. Mint is known to connect America through coins and created the American Women Quarters program to feature women who have contributed to a variety of fields like civil rights, science, space, the arts, and more.

Celia Cruz sadly passed away in 2003 but was known to be one of the 20th century’s most well-known Latin performers. She won five Grammy Awards, a National Medal of Arts, and a posthumous Grammy for Lifetime Achievement.

The four other honorees are Dr. Mary Edwards Walker, a Civil War-era surgeon and abolitionist; Patsy Takemoto Mink, the first woman of color to serve in Congress; Pauli Murray, a poet, lawyer, and activist who fought against racial and sex discrimination; and Zitkala-Ša (meaning “Red Bird”), a political activist for Native Americans’ rights.

The four-year program runs through 2025.

To shop for your coins, click on this link.


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