The first Afro Latina to appear on U.S. currency is none other than the 'Queen of Salsa'
Celia Cruz, better known as the Queen of Salsa, has been officially engraved into some of the United States 25-cent coins, making her the first Afro-Latina to be featured in U.S. currency.
The U.S. Mint announced Cruz as the 14th woman of 20 to join the American Women Quarters Program — a 4-year project that features the faces of American women celebrating the contributions and accomplishments they have made to the country.
The Cuban American singer left a remarkable music legacy before she died in 2003 entitling her as one of the most popular artists of the 20th Century. Some of her masterpieces like “La Vida es un Carnaval,” “Quimbara” and “Rie y Llora” have become staple songs among the Latino community in the U.S. and Latin America.
Who is Celia Cruz?
Celia Caridad Cruz Alfonso was born in Havana, Cuba, on October 21, 1925. Cruz immersed herself in the music world from a very young age: she studied voice, theory and piano at Havana’s National Conservatory of Music.
From starting her performances at cabarets, she transitioned to competing at a radio show called “The Tea Hour,” growing her fame to an exponential rate. In the 50s, Cruz became the lead female singer of La Sonora Matancera, Cuba’s most popular orchestra. When the Cuban Revolution was at its peak, Cruz decided to move to the United States and married her husband, Pedro Knight.
In the 60s and 70s, the birth and rise of a new music genre changed Cruz’s life forever: salsa. She joined Tito Puente Orchestra, a group that was experimenting with this new sound. By 1974, Cruz joined a new record label which led her to obtain the title of the Queen of Salsa. The Cuban American made history while succeeding in the salsa world — a space dominated by men.
She received multiple awards, including four Latin Grammys, a Presidential Medal of Arts and three Grammy awards. Cruz was also inducted into the Billboard’s Latin Music Hall of Fame, as well as the International Music Hall of Fame.
Cruz died in New Jersey on July 16, 2003, leaving behind a legacy of music that entitles her as one of the most remarkable artists of the 20th Century.
What does Celia Cruz’s Quarter look like?
The reverse side of the coin displays an image of Cruz holding a microphone while portraying a singing facial expression. Next to her, the exclamation “?AZúCAR!” (sugar in Spanish) shows — her signature motto.
The other side depicts a portrait of George Washington displaying the words “In God we trust,” “Liberty” and the year 2024.
What is the American Women Quarters Program?
The American Women Quarters Program is a four-year project run by the U.S. Mint that commemorates the contributions and accomplishments that women have made to the nation. The program was started in 2022 and is expected to run until 2025 issuing five new coin designs per year.
All quarters depict a portrait of George Washington displaying the words “In God we trust,” “Liberty” and the year 2024 on one side. The reverse features the faces of different women who have contributed to a variety of fields, including civil rights, suffrage, government, humanities space and science, abortion and arts.
These are the American women featured in the quarters:
2022
Maya Angelou – celebrated writer, performer, and social activist
Dr. Sally Ride – physicist, astronaut, educator, and first American woman in space
Wilma Mankiller – first woman elected principal chief of the Cherokee Nation
Nina Otero-Warren – suffrage leader and the first woman superintendent of Santa Fe public schools
Anna May Wong – first Chinese American film star in Hollywood
2023
Bessie Coleman – first African American and first Native American woman licensed pilot
Edith Kanaka?ole – indigenous Hawaiian composer, custodian of native culture and traditions
Eleanor Roosevelt – leader, reformer, first lady, and author
Jovita Idar – Mexican American journalist, activist, teacher, and suffragist
Maria Tallchief – America’s first prima ballerina
2024
Rev. Dr. Pauli Murray – poet, writer, activist, lawyer, and Episcopal priest
Patsy Takemoto Mink – first woman of color to serve in Congress
Dr. Mary Edwards Walker – Civil War era surgeon, women’s rights and dress reform advocate
Celia Cruz – Cuban-American singer, cultural icon, and one of the most popular Latin artists of the 20th century
Zitkala-?a – writer, composer, educator, and political activist
2025
Ida B. Wells – investigative journalist, suffragist, and civil rights activist
Juliette Gordon Low – founder of Girl Scouts of the United States of America
Dr. Vera Rubin – astronomer who pioneered work on galaxy rotation
Stacey Park Milbern – activist for people with disabilities
Althea Gibson – multi-sport athlete and first Black athlete to break the color barrier at the highest level in tennis
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: This woman is the first Afro Latina to appear on a U.S. quarter
