The United States Mint is set to depict the face of Celia Cruz, the late Cuban singer, on the country’s currency.
The treasury department bureau responsible for producing coins said the music legend will be in the US quarter.
Widely known as the Queen of Salsa, Cruz was chosen along with four other exemplary women from history.
They are to be featured in the 25-cent piece as part of the American Women Quarters Program in 2024.
The four-year programme celebrates the accomplishments and contributions of women in the US.
With her inclusion in the programme, Cruz will be making history as the first Afro-Latina to appear on the coin.
The late Cuban American singer Celia Cruz is set to make history as the first Afro-Latina to appear on the U.S. quarter, later this year. pic.twitter.com/b291C6BQnx
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Cruz is considered one of the most influential Latin singers of all time and a cultural icon.
She is remembered for her highly influential body of work consisting of 37 albums.
Cruz was a naturalized Cuban-American singer and one of the most popular Latin artistes of the 20th century.
She rose to fame in Cuba during the 50s as a singer of guarachas, earning the nickname “La Guarachera de Cuba”.
In the following decades, she became known globally as the “Queen of Salsa” due to her work in Latin music.
Among the honourees is Patsy Takemoto Mink, the first woman of color to serve in the US Congress.
Included are Mary Edwards Walker, a women’s rights advocate and civil war era surgeon; Pauli Murray, a poet, activist, and lawyer; and Zitkala-Ša, a native American writer, composer, and educator.
“All of the women being honored have lived remarkable and multi-faceted lives, and have made a significant impact on our Nation in their own unique way,” said Ventris Gibson, the mint director, according to NPR.
“The women pioneered change during their lifetimes, not yielding to the status quo imparted during their lives.
“By honoring these pioneering women, the Mint continues to connect America through coins which are like small works of art in your pocket.”
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