Life in the Box: From Other Quarters
April 25, 2026
The other day, while checking out at Office Depot, I had a brief conversation with the clerk about the pictures on the backs of the quarters she had handed me. I found one with Bessie Coleman, the airplane aviatrix. I showed it to the clerk and told her that Bessie had to be trained in France, because she couldn’t… “Get trained in America!” the clerk ended my sentence.
Then, I pulled out another shiny quarter she’d given me, and I couldn’t make out the name on the back. She looked closer and exclaimed, “Oh, Celia Cruz! Famous singer.”
It’s fun to make little connections with people across the counter and across generations. And, I think that’s what’s great about the history on quarters. It makes these “we’re human” moments possible.
The coins also offer a literal meaning: women have value.
In the past year or so, I have contributed a few essays about the American Women’s Quarter Program to Escape Into Life. Since then, I’ve been watching my change – and have collected more of these quarters:
The Reverend Dr. Pauli Murray “Hope, A Song in a Weary Voice.”
Patsy Takemoto Mink, “Equal Opportunity in Education.”
Wilma Mankiller, “Principal Chief, CWYA DBP.”
Edith Kanaka’ole, Hawaiian Cultural dancer, teacher.
Nina Otero-Warren, “Voto Para La Mujer.”
Juliette Gordon Low, Founder of Girl Scouts.
Some American Women are famous enough without being on a quarter, Helen Keller and Eleanor Roosevelt among them. But that said, it is nice to see them honored in this way. Helen Keller’s includes a little bit of Braille. Roosevelt is honored for her “Universal Declaration of Human Rights.”
Other modern women on the quarter are Maya Angelou, American writer and activist, and Dr. Sally Ride, Astronaut. Because of the quarters, twenty women of note are now well-profiled, I no longer feel a personal need to write about them. I’ve provided a link to a lovely collection of essays on the Smithsonian Women’s History website.
I love that this program, now complete, has lifted up some history for me that I otherwise wouldn’t have encountered. The stories remind us how hard-won our freedom has been. Why was it so hard for women to be considered equal to men? Why is that battle still being fought?
Misogyny doesn’t make sense. But it’s obviously still as alive in America as all the other prejudices. I’m resisting the temptation of listing all the current ways women are being disempowered. At this point, I’m more interested in why. Why?
All I know is that we all have a thirst for power: power over our lives, homes, relations, our labors (or lack there-of), our merriments, our finances, our ability to “do what we want.” And that power isn’t a given. These quarters remind us of that.
Nancy Heather Brown is a retired, Emmy Award-winning television producer whose career has included interviewing, writing, narrating and editing for a span of four decades. Today, she enjoys learning new things and reflecting upon the creative process and life issues, both inside and outside the box. Her opinions are her own, and are not necessarily those of this web site. She’s now showing photos on Smug Mug.
Smithsonian Women’s History link to stories about all the women on the quarters
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