9 Living Women Who Should be Featured on the $10 Bill

For the first time since 1886, the year the United States started issuing paper currency, it has finally decided to honor the other half of its population. The year 2020 marks the 100th anniversary of the Ninteenth Amendment, which gave women the right to vote in the United States. In honor of this historic date, the U.S. Department of Treasury will unveil a new $10 bill featuring a woman alongside Alexander Hamilton, the first Secretary of the Treasuring for the United States. By law, only a real deceased person can be included on banknotes, but what if they allowed living females to be featured on these notes? 

If by some chance Congress suddenly feels the urge to abolish this law before 2020, here are our top picks of living women who should be put on the $10 bill. 

1. Ruth Bader Ginsburg

Who wouldn’t love to see notorious RBG on their money? As long as she wears her green earrings! In case you didn’t know, Ruth Bader Ginsburg is the second female Supreme Court justice and the first female Jewish justice. She has devoted much of her life to the advancement of women’s rights and many of her court decisions have reflected this. Her face is iconic, printed on T-shirts, mugs, bags—so, why not on money? Recently, we found out that there is a going to be a movie made about her! She will be played by Natalie Portman and it will be directed by a female director.

2.  Barbara Walters

Barbara Walters made a career originally writing for the Morning Show on CBS before becoming an interviewer on 20/20 and the Today show. She has interviewed leaders around the world, including Fidel Castro, Indira Gandhi, Anwar Al Sadat, Menachem Begin, and more. She is also an inductee to the Television Hall of Fame and has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame! For women in media, she is certainly an icon.

3. Laverne Cox

Laverne Cox is more than just an actress. She’s an activist for LGBTQ+ rights and has made tremendous strides for the transgender community. In addition to being the first transgender person to appear on the cover of Time magazine, she is also about to be the first transgender to have a wax figure in Madame Tassuads. Most importantly, Cox has spoken openly about transgender rights and has won numerous awards for her activism. Notably, she spoke out against asking trans-women about their genital re-assignment, during an interview with Katie Couric, and instead said they must focus on discrimination and violence faced by the transgender community. Her image is an inspiration to the LGBTQ+ community.

4. Michelle Obama

Michelle Obama will join the ranks of groundbreaking First Ladies along with past FLOTUS’ Betty Ford, Jackie Kennedy, and Hillary Clinton. She’s a graduate of Princeton University and Harvard Law school and before becoming the First Lady, worked for the mayor of Chicago and the University of Chicago Medical Center. She is known for her advocacy efforts, especially on nutrition, physical activty and women’s rights. 

5. Kathryn Bigelow

Kathryn Bigelow has made amazing strides for female directors, especially with her 2009 film, “The Hurt Locker”. She is the first woman to win the Academy Award for Best Director and has spoken out against gender discrimination in Hollywood. She serves as an inspiration to all the women in Hollywood—writers, actresses, producers, directors, and more. 

Currently, all bank notes feature founding fathers and former presidents, but where are the role models for people who don’t want to fill national political and leadership positions? These next five nominees have, well, different qualifications.

6. Ellen Degeneres

What is harder than handing over a crisp, hard earned $10 bill to buy boring things like razor blades or laundry detergent? Literally nothing. Let’s make this process a little more fun by adding the face of one of the funniest women on television. I will bet a year’s salary on the fact that Ellen, if featured, would be pictured making a face behind Hamilton’s back or giving our founding father bunny ears. That’ll sure make spending money more enjoyable, and the more money the public spends, the better the economy will become. It’s simple economics.

7. Donna Meagle

Donna Meagle of “Parks and Recreation” is perhaps one of the best people of all time to go shopping with. Her appearance on the $10 will give everyone the chance to have the Donna Meagle experience. Imagine looking in your wallet wondering, “Is this all natural, gluen free, vegan granola bar really worth $10?” and having your wallet answer with a reassuring “Treat. Yo. Self.” right before you hand the bill over to the cashier. 

8. Honey Boo Boo

If a dolla makes her holla, we can only wonder what $10 will make her do. I’d like to find out.

9. Beyoncé

A queen always appears on her nation’s currency. Enough said.

If the U.S. Department of Treasury allowed living citizens to be memorialized on our country’s banknotes, who would you want to see featured?

Photo Credit: Cover, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10