Former Republican GOP candidate Dr. Ben Carson made a few outlandish statements in his bid to gain the White House. But his latest comments on the placement of American hero Harriet Tubman on the $20 bill goes beyond the pale. Carson recently appeared on the TV show “Fox Business” with host Neil Cavuto and was asked his opinion on the removal of Andrew Jackson from the $20 bill and the image of Harriet Tubman replacing the genocidal maniac.
“Well, I think Andrew Jackson was a tremendous secretary — I mean a tremendous president. I mean, Andrew Jackson was the last president who actually balanced the federal budget, where we had no national debt … I love Harriet Tubman. I love what she did, but we can find another way to honor her. … Maybe a $2 bill,” Carson responded.
Perhaps Carson is unaware of the legacy of the slave-holding, slaughterer of Native Americans and his racist views. But the fact of the matter is that in the eyes of Jackson, a man like Carson would still be an N-word, no matter his accomplishments.There is a famous quote attributed to Harriett Tubman that now seems to apply to the former GOP presidential candidate: “I freed a thousand slaves; I could have freed a thousand more if only they knew they were slaves.”
Carson’s comments show a shocking devaluation of the impact of Harriet Tubman by suggesting she should be placed on a $2 bill. Perhaps he felt that a $20 bill was too uppity for the Negro freedom fighter, abolitionist and Union Army commando scout. However, other politicians are thankfully weighing in on Tubman’s impact on America. Including Hillary Clinton, who tweeted, “A woman, a leader, and a freedom fighter. I can’t think of a better choice for the $20 bill than Harriet Tubman.
