Poet Maya Angelou becomes first Black woman to appear on US coin

Why in news?

• The US Mint has begun shipping the first coins with Maya Angelou’s likeness on the American quarter, a 25-cent piece. She is the first Black woman to appear on a US coin.

About Poet Maya Angelou

• Angelou, author of “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings,” will also be the first figure commemorated through the American Women Quarters Program, which was signed into law in January 2021.
• Each 2022 quarter is designed to reflect the breadth and depth of accomplishments being celebrated throughout this historic coin program. Maya Angelou, featured on the reverse of this first coin in the series, used words to inspire and uplift.