2023 American Women's Quarter Program Honeree's

BESSIE COLEMAN

Bessie Coleman was born on January 26, 1892, in Atlanta, Texas, to Susan Coleman and George Coleman. Coleman was introduced to the idea of piloting by her Brother who was a World War I veteran who told her about French women pilots. Her brother told her that Black women would never get the opportunity to become pilots, so Coleman took that as a challenge and started the rigorous process of becoming the first African-American pilot. The first step was applying to aviation school, where she was denied multiple times because of gender and color discrimination, as well as bias. Coleman then applied for flight school in France and got accepted, leading her to get her pilot's license on June 15, 1921, from the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale. She trained with World War I pilots to learn more extravagant stunts and fly more safely before showing a crowd. September 3, 1922, was a historic day as Coleman completed the first public flight by an African American woman. In 1925, Coleman was set to go on an aviation tour where she would get into barnstorming, acrobatics, and stunt flying. When she did shows, she refused to perform at any place that would segregate colored people. As well as flying in her shows, she would also give speeches, inspire many African American women, and share knowledge with others. With Coleman breaking barriers, she would be the sixth woman featured on the American quarter. Her quarter reflects the first African American woman to earn a pilot license, designed by Chris Costello. The design features Bessie Coleman preparing to take flight with the quarter, also engraving the date she got her pilot's license. This quarter was the first released quarter of the 2023 season, being released on January 3, 2023.

EDITH KANAKA'OLE

Edith Kanaka’ole was born on October 30, 1913, in Honomu, Hawaii, to John Kanaeleolualaka Ikenao and Mary Kekuewa Ahiena. In 1898, the U.S. assumed government control over Hawaii, leading to the start of colonization and the extinguishing of Hawaiian culture. When the U.S. took over, it implemented a policy in public schools that all students pledge loyalty to the United States. With the U.S. wanting to revamp Hawaii and erase native Hawaiians, they gave homestead leases to native Hawaiians who had 50% or more Hawaiian blood, which was a specific piece of land across the island for native Hawaiian people. Growing up, Kanaka’ole’s parents taught her how to hula dance, knowledge about local plants and herbs, and introduced her to music at a young age. With all this happening to her culture and community, she began to find ways to preserve Hawaiian knowledge and culture. She did through performing, songwriting, singing, hula dancing, and interpreting and translating the Hawaiian language, and mastering chants (oli) which represents “share past and present beliefs, values, history, legends, and connection to the land and sea.” (cite) With her love for dancing Kanaka’ole became a teacher of hula dancing and eventually opened up a hula dancing school and it became so popular that it became known internationally. With her vast efforts, she then went on to help develop a Hawaiian language program and mentorship within schools. To continue her mission, she became a professor at two local colleges where she created courses in “ethnobotany (the study of a region’s plants and their practical uses), ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi (Hawaiian Language), Hawaiian land practices, mythology, and genealogy.” With all her work throughout her lifetime to preserve Hawaiian culture, natural resources, and community, she was recognized as the 7th woman in the American Quarter program. Her special quarter was released on March 27, 2023. Designed by Emily Damstra, the quarter features Kanak’ole wearing a lei on a Hawaiian landscape engraved with "E hō mai ka ʻike," translating to "granting wisdom.

ELEANOR ROOSEVELT

Eleanor Roosevelt was born on October 11th, 1884, in New York to Anna Hall Roosevelt and Elliot Roosevelt. Mrs. Roosevelt was married to the 32nd U.S. president, Franklin D. Roosevelt. During her time in the white house, she was the longest-serving first lady and did many impactful things to help communities instead of just staying in the background. She was different from other first ladies of the white house as she redefined the name and role for this job. While still adhering to the social obligations needed of her, she also focused on politics and was a diplomat and activist. Roosevelt also had her newspaper column, held press conferences, advocated for disadvantaged communities, and supported the civil rights movement. She raised awareness for kids with polio by being a radio host and promoting the charity “March for a dime”, as it raised money for a cure for kids with polio. Another innovative thing Roosevelt did was fly with an African American male pilot at Tuskegee, which promoted equality and justice and brought the Tuskegee Airmen into the spotlight. Not only was she the first lady of the United States, but also the first United States delegate to the United Nations, where she went on to create the U.N. Declaration of Rights. With her long-lasting career and contributions to the U.S., she would be the 8th woman recognized in her quarter. Her quarter was released on June 5th, 2023. Designed by Don Everhart, the quarter features a picture of Roosevelt behind a globe and the scales of justice.

JOVITA IDAR VIVERIO

Jovita Idar Viverio was born on September 7th, 1885, in Laredo, Texas, to Nicasio Idar and Jovita Idar. Early in life, she went to an institution in Laredo and obtained a teacher certification. Viverio worked in a segregated-spanish speaking school and experienced many different inequalities within the difference of schooling between Anglo Americans and people of Hispanic descent. The school she worked in had horrible conditions of classrooms, run-down books, and minimal school supplies for children. The systematic racism was so abundant that Viverio quit teaching to fight the injustices her people faced. She went on to become part of her family newspaper (La cronica), write poetry, and write articles where she would cover the racial tensions and crimes committed against the Hispanic community. She also addressed civil rights and women's rights and independence, which led her to write an article on women's suffrage for the newspaper. In 1911, she helped organize the first Mexican congress, El Primer Congreso Mexicanista, which addressed the economic and social problems affecting people of Spanish descent. With women participating and showing leadership in the Mexican Congress, this led Idar to found “La Liga Feminil Mexicanista” (The League of Mexican American Women). In 1911, this organization provided Tejano and Mexican immigrant children with educational services to equalize school policies in Texas. The organization also supported financial independence for women in Texas and across the U.S.-Mexico border. Jovita Idar was the first president of this organization and created a bilingual newspaper for educators. During her time, she ended up working at another Hispanic newspaper and eventually created her own newspaper, where she showed her activism through her writing and articles. Later in life, she moved to San Antonio, where she taught free kindergarten classes for Spanish-speaking children, became a translator at a county hospital, and continued her love for advocating for Hispanics through writing in newspapers. With all her hard work and dedication, she was the 9th woman featured on a quarter, with it being released on August 14th,2023. Designed by John P. Mcgraw it shows a picture of Jovita Idar with inscriptions of all her accomplishments in both English and Spanish highlighting her activism and journalism.

MARIA TALLCHIEF

Maria Tallchief was born on January 24th, 1995, in Fairfax, Oklahoma, to Ruth Porter and Alexander Joseph Tall Chief. Early in life, Tall Chief's mother noticed immense talent in her daughter's artistic ability. At eight years old, her mother relocated the tall chief and her sister to California to get the proper training for their emerging career. While in California, the sisters learned from the prestigious ballerina Bronislava Nijinska. At age 17, after graduating from Beverly Hills High School, Tallchief moved to New York City to pursue ballet full-time. While in New York, she joined the Ballet Russe De Monte Carlo company, where she became a protégée of esteemed choreographer George Balanchine. Her career shortly started to take off, while many people wanted her to change her last name so she wouldn't face discrimination, she insisted on keeping performing by Maria Tallchief. During her career, she was the first American to perform with the Paris Opera ballet. She would also go on to marry George Balanchine, where she became the star of his company, and later on, it would evolve into the praised New York City Ballet. Balanchine would give her the signature Firebird role, which would lead her to become famed and known as the Prima Ballerina of New City Ballet. Tallchief was also the original Sugar Plum Fairy, which originated in Balanchine’s play The Nutcracker, which has now gained popularity and sensation from across the world. She then went on to co-found the Chicago City Ballet, where she served as the director for 7 years. With Tallchief's astonishing career, she broke barriers for native americans and also put light on other native dancers, as well as being known as the only American Prima Ballerina of her time. Due to all her hard work, she gained recognition on the American quarter, which was released on October 23, 2023. Designed by Benjamin Sowards, it shows Tallchief in the ballet jump “saut de chat” and features her Osage name.