Alabama Officials Campaign to Select Helen Keller for New $10 Bill

On Wednesday, Alabama state and local officials kicked off a campaign to select Helen Keller for the new $10 bill during a press conference in Tuscumbia.

The Treasury Department announced last year that a woman will be chosen for the new bill and that it will be the first U.S. currency to have tactile features allowing those with vision loss to determine the denomination by touch alone. The new bill is slated to debut in 2020.

Helen Keller was born on June 27, 1880 in Tuscumbia. At only 19 months old, she contracted a severe illness that left her both deaf and blind. She is remembered as an advocate for people with disabilities, amid numerous other causes.

State tourism director Lee Sentell said,

Helen Keller is the perfect choice for the new bill.  She overcame every challenge put before her and inspired people around the world. Her birthplace here at Ivy Green in Tuscumbia shares her story to more than 40,000 tourists and school children who visit each year.

The Helen Keller Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to continuing her work, is leading the call to action for her selection on the bill.

The Helen Keller Foundation executive director Laura Beckwith said,

Eleanor Roosevelt called her America’s goodwill ambassador to the world and Time magazine selected her as one of the 100 most important people of the twentieth century. Helen Keller’s legacy remains beloved today.

If you'd like to vote on Helen Keller as the face of the new $10 bill, click here. Also post about it on Twitter and use the hashtag #TheNew10 and help spread the word!

The Alabama Legislature passed a resolution in 2015 supporting Helen Keller as the state’s official choice for the new $10 bill. The Resolution includes references to Keller’s numerous accolades including the Presidential Medal of Freedom and her accomplishment as an author of 13 books.