Campaign Begins for Helen Keller to be Featured on the New $10 Bill

State and local officials kicked off a campaign to select Helen Keller for the new $10 bill during a press event Wednesday at her birthplace in Tuscumbia.

The public can vote on Helen Keller for their choice as the face of the new $10 bill by going on the U.S. Department of the Treasury website at www.thenew10.treasury.gov and by using the hashtag #TheNew10 on Twitter.

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 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,” said Lee Sentell, state tourism director.

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. “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,” said executive director Laura Beckwith.

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.

Helen Keller was born June 27, 1880 in Tuscumbia. At only 19 months old, she contracted a severe illness that left her both deaf and blind.  Keller was the first deaf blind person to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree and became a world-famous speaker and author. She is remembered as an advocate for people with disabilities, amid numerous other causes.