Whereas, Harriet R. Tubman was born into slavery in Bucktown, Maryland in 1820 and sustained lasting injuries and trauma from her master’s cruelty.
At age 9, while Tubman was enslaved, Andrew Jackson assumed the presidency of the United States. President Jackson was a supporter of slavery’s expansion into Western territories and championed the removal of Native Americans from their native lands, forcing thousands on an inhumane and deadly march known as the Trail of Tears. President Jackson has been featured on the $20 bill since 1928. In the more than 90 years that have passed since President Jackson was chosen to be the face of our $20 note, our nation and our commonwealth have worked to address grave injustices in our society.
We can no longer overlook our nation’s troubled history and recognize it is past time we honor the sacrifices of those who were unquestionably on the right side of history.
Tubman has an unmatched record of fighting for justice, freedom, and human rights. She spent much of her adult life-risking her personal safety to lead hundreds of slaves through the Underground Railroad to freedom.
Tubman was a cook, nurse, scout, and a spy for the Union during the Civil War. She went on to become an outspoken abolitionist and women’s suffragist, continuing her fight for equality even after the Civil War ended.
Tubman’s bravery and commitment to the American spirit make her an exemplary role model.
President Barack Obama and the Commerce Department put into motion a plan to feature Harriet Tubman on the $20 bill in 2016.
Therefore, be it resolved, the Democratic Party of Virginia calls upon the President and the Commerce Department:
1. To expeditiously release the Harriet Tubman $20 bill into circulation so Americans can properly honor Tubman’s legacy and the values for which Tubman stood and for which she risked her life.
2. To sufficiently and promptly offer an explanation for the inexplicable delay of the bill’s release.
3. To supplement the release of the bill with proper commemoration and celebration of Tubman’s legacy and work.