Celia Cruz, the legendary Cuban American salsa singer, will be honored on a U.S. quarter in 2024, making her the first Afro Latina to appear on the coin. This is part of the American Women Quarters Program, which celebrates the accomplishments and contributions of American women. Cruz is one of five honorees for 2024, which includes other remarkable women such as Patsy Takemoto Mink, Dr. Mary Edwards Walker, Pauli Murray, and Zitkala-Ša.
Cruz was born in Havana in 1925 and achieved great success as the lead singer for La Sonora Matancera, Cuba’s most popular orchestra. After the Cuban Revolution, she immigrated to the U.S. in 1961 and continued to make a significant impact on the world of salsa music. Cruz’s energetic stage presence, extravagant costumes, and powerful voice made her a beloved figure in the music industry for over six decades. She recorded numerous albums, won multiple Grammy Awards, and even received the president’s National Medal of Arts.
She passed away in 2003 at the age of 77.