Notre Dame students are smart—no doubt about that—but there’s a difference between being intelligent and being informed. You may excel in the classroom, but education needs worldly context beyond the ND bubble. This weekly column exists to keep you up to date with the latest happenings around the nation in 500 words or less. We do the research, you do the reading. HCNDXO
Harriet Tubman to be on the $20 Bill
Treasury Secretary Jacob J. Lew proposed on Wednesday, April 20 that the image of Harriet Tubman will replace that of Andrew Jackson on the $20 dollar bill. Tubman would be the first woman honored on American paper currency since Martha Washington’s brief appearance on the $1 silver certificate in the late 19th century.
In addition to placing Harriet Tubman on the $20 bill, Secretary Lew also proposed the inclusion of several suffragettes and civil rights leaders (seven women and one man) on the backs of the $10 and $5 dollar bills. The list of people to be inculded are Sojourner Truth, Lucretia Mott, Susan B. Anthony, Alice Paul and Elizabeth Cady Stanton (all for the $10), Eleanor Roosevelt, Martin Luther King Jr. and Marian Anderson (all for the $5).
Helen Clark announces her candidacy as Secretary General for the United Nations
On Monday, April 18, Helen Clark, the former prime minister of New Zealand, formally entered the race to succeed Ban Ki-moon as Secretary General of the United Nations in a bid to become the first woman in the role of world’s top diplomat. Clark’s announcement immediately places her as a serious contender to become the eighth secretary general in the UN’s 70-year history.
“The position of secretary general is about giving a voice to 7 billion people who look to the UN for hope and support,” she said. “In the normal course of events I would like to see women have a fair chance, an equal chance at every leadership position.”
Hillary Clinton appears on Good Morning America
Democratic Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton continued her campaign and made an appearance on GMA, two days after her big primary win in her adopted home state, and talked about the state of the Democratic primary race. Among the topics discussed were Bernie Sanders, Donald Trump, and pay equity for women.
Queen Elizabeth’s 90th Birthday
Finally, Queen Elizabeth II celebrated her 90th birthday on Thursday, April 21. As Britian’s longest reigning monarch, Queen Elizabeth has an extremely long legacy that many will be celebrating as part of the festivities. The Queen plans to mark the day with a walkabout near her main residence in Windsor, west of London, before lighting a beacon relay in the evening. Later in the summer, formal celebrations will be held to mark her “official birthday,” culminating with a national service of Thanksgiving at St. Paul’s Cathedral and a giant picnic outside Buckingham Palace for 10,000 guests.
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