Celia Cruz Becomes the First Afro-Latina Honored on a U.S. Quarter

The late and legendary “Queen of Salsa” Celia Cruz will become the first Afro-Latina to grace a U.S. quarter. Cruz, who passed away in 2003, was one of five women chosen by the U.S. Mint to be honored on quarters.

“Celia Cruz’s influence reached well beyond her music,” Ventris Gibson, Director of the Mint, stated in a press release. “She was proud of and celebrated her Cuban culture, which empowered Afro-Latino Americans in embracing their heritage, making her an important and enduring cultural icon.”

The three-time Grammy winner’s music was heavily influenced by her life in Cuba. She defected from Cuba in 1960, when Fidel Castro rose to power, and sought refuge in New Jersey, where she remained until her death decades later.

Celia famously joined Fania, a Salsa-focused record label, in the mid 70s. She was the only woman to be part of the label’s iconic All-Stars group.

In addition to her three Grammy’s, Cruz’s many accolades include four Latin Grammy awards, a Presidential Medal of Arts, and induction into both the Billboard’s Latin Music Hall of Fame and the International Latin Music Hall of Fame.

Cruz’s catchphrase AZÚCAR, which translates to “sugar” in English, is inscribed on the coin, along with an image of the singer in one of her signature rumba dresses.

Cruz was chosen to be on a quarter as part of the Mint’s 2024 American Women Quarters program. Other notable women to appear on quarters include author and activist Maya Angelou, Former First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt, journalist Jovita Idar and aviator Bessie Coleman.

Are you excited for the Celia Cruz quarter?