Abolitionist good choice for honor

I understand Harriet Tubman has been selected to replace Andrew Jackson on the face of the $20 bill.

Harriet Tubman is best known for her participation in the so-called “Underground Railroad,” a system for helping slaves escape to the northern states and Canada in the days before the Civil War. Free blacks in both the North and South frequently helped the runaways. Tubman, a fugitive herself, returned to the South nineteen times and helped some 300 escape at great personal risk to herself. A substantial reward was once offered for her capture, dead or alive.

The fact that, for the first time in American history, a woman — and a person of color at that — is evidence of a historic shift in this country’s attitude toward minorities. Wouldn’t the hundreds of the folks who struggled over the years against prejudice, distrust and unjust treatment be pleased?

Of course the American people will express various opinions on this matter. Some people may not even notice the transition to the new currency. But I for one am eagerly looking forward to spending my first Harriet Tubman $20 bill. For me, it’ll a sign our country is moving in the right direction.

Rick Bell

Arlington