Money and John Lewis

When I was younger, it seemed that my mind wandered with greater volume and velocity. As I approach 50, I’m mostly tired and task-oriented-ish, but sometimes, the mental journeys of old return. Early this morning, I thought about money, and after I read about John Lewis passing away — John Lewis, a man more deserving of a statue or a naval base named after him than any white Confederate traitor who ever lived — I thought some more.

First, eliminate the penny and the dollar bill. Stop making them entirely.

For the former, round all prices up or down to the nearest nickel and go from there. And for the latter, replace dollar bills with a greater utilization of dollar coins. And to spark this new monetary policy, mint new dollar coins with the faces of important African-American figures like Harriet Tubman and John Lewis and Scott Joplin and George Washington Carver (pictured below). I mean, I know I would like money with this dude staring back at me:

With the new faces in circulation, more people might be curious as to who is on the money, and they might learn about scientific genius or social justice or artistic talent, American stories of successes in the face of virulent opposition. And if anyone asks about other marginalized historical figures, well, mint those Americans up as well. Furthermore, every now and again, let the Internet vote on a coin, so long as winners are real humans of historical importance from underrepresented populations. (As cool as a Spongebob Dollar Coin might be in theory, it’s not a winner.)

I’m sure John Lewis wasn’t a saint, but he did more to promote and advance the ideals of America in a year than I’ve done in a half-century, and there has to be a way to honor that legacy somehow. A dollar coin might be a start. But making Voting Day a national holiday in his honor would be even better. And you can take that to the bank.

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