Harriet Tubman supporters have been fighting for her to become the new face of the $20 bill, but in the meantime, you can get a debit card.
Black History Month always sparks tributes from companies looking to honor black historical figures who have helped change the course of history. OneUnited Bank shared that they’ve decided to highlight the accomplishments of Harriet Tubman by featuring new artwork of the former slave and abolitionist on their bank card—an image that shows Tubman crossing her arms in front of her chest a la Black Panther’s Wakanda.
OneUnited Bank, the largest black-owned bank in the United States, wrote on their website, “Harriet Tubman not only escaped slavery, she made nineteen missions to bring 300 others, including family and friends, to freedom, served in the Union Army and was an activist for women’s voting rights. With her impact on American history, she deserves to be on the $20 bill. The Harriet Tubman Visa Debit Card is the first limited edition card offered by OneUnited Bank. The limited-edition card will only be available in 2020. Anyone who obtains the limited-edition Harriet Tubman Card in 2020 can carry the card design for life.”
While the gesture is admirable, it wasn’t as well-received online as the company expected. There were some people who seemed excited to own a Tubman-faced debit card, but the overall consensus was that it was somehow disrespectful to the leader’s memory. Check out the bank card below and read through a few reactions. Are people over-reacting? What do you think?
Our limited-edition Harriet Tubman Visa Debit Card is a symbol of Black empowerment. Don’t miss out! #GetTheCard today! #HarrietTubman #BlackHistoryMonth #BankBlackhttps://t.co/LWbOmRjNcy pic.twitter.com/okLTuJskXC
— OneUnited Bank (@oneunited) February 13, 2020
Harriet Tubman’s spirit coming for whoever put her in Wakandan position pic.twitter.com/neX3IBj15H
— Suge🥂Lite✨ 🇭🇹🇪🇷 (@Kamifaine) February 14, 2020
They really have Ms. Harriet Tubman????…. Doing the Wakanda Forever salute???….
ON THIS LAND???pic.twitter.com/8JUnSrncKv
— Q🙏🏽 (@Karinjade99) February 14, 2020
Harriet Tubman would have shot y’all https://t.co/7Ps4MSSfKN
— Brotha B (@BlakeDontCrack) February 14, 2020
Ive always said that if there's anything on this Earth that I've always wanted on my debit card it woul be Harriet Tubman throwing up "Wakanda Forever" https://t.co/hVwNi49qPq
— y'all some bammas (@Deion_Slanders) February 13, 2020
“Bury me in the ocean, with my ancestors that jumped from the ships, because they knew death was better than Harriet Tubman hitting the Wakanda salute on debit cards.” https://t.co/ovOLNtSrlM
— Frederick Joseph (@FredTJoseph) February 14, 2020
Harriet Tubman did not risk her life hundreds of times for this. Y'all are really cheapening her legacy of courage, struggle, and triumph during #BlackHistoryMonth, too. Shameful.
Watching capitalism commodify revolution and sell it back to us in real-time is gross. 🤮 https://t.co/gKSGxmEruA
— Guillotines N' Roses (Taheerah Barney)🌹 (@fleshandbrand) February 14, 2020
I’m gonna pass on the Harriet Tubman debit card and wait for the Sojourner Truth gift card
— J.A. Adande (@jadande) February 14, 2020
DO YOU THINK HARRIET TUBMAN WAS WALKING AROUND SALUTING WAKANDA WHILE SHE WAS TAKING SLAVES???? TO FREEDOM? https://t.co/1yhWavQy0m
— marv (@ofstarvinmarrv) February 13, 2020
it's amazing how differently the idea of harriet tubman on u.s. legal tender feels than putting her face on a debit card. https://t.co/y7Y5wtmsPX
— bomani (@bomani_jones) February 14, 2020
I want whoever designed the Harriet Tubman debit card beat up on the Apollo Stage for Black History Month pic.twitter.com/9fetazJyU2
— MonsterKing (@CerromeRussell) February 14, 2020
