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12 Chicago women who should be on the $20 bill

Chicago has a long history of amazing women. From Jane Addams to Gwendolyn Brooks, here are some local candidates for Women On 20s.

Written by
Clayton Guse
&
Time Out Chicago editors
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When looking at America's currency, one thing is crystal clear: Every single bill memorializes an old white man. A recent campaign dubbed Women On 20s is looking to bring a female face to the $20 bill.

President Andrew Jackson is an ideal candidate to be bucked off the nation's cash, considering he was a raving lunatic whose endeavors included violently annexing regions of Native American territory, killing a man in a duel and enforcing martial law in New Orleans. Let's not forget that the man was a raging chauvinist.

Chicago has been home to a wealth of influential, powerful and downright amazing women over the years. Here are a few ideas for local women who could fit the bill.

Oprah Winfrey
Graphic by Brendon Brown

Oprah Winfrey

Oprah is an obvious choice. The TV mogul has given out so many free cars that it only makes sense to put her face on the 20.
Hillary Clinton

Hillary Clinton

Hillary could very well be the next president, which is a big step in getting one's face published on legal tender. Born and raised on the North Side, she's brought Chicago-style politics to Washington for more than 20 years.
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Gwendolyn Brooks
Graphic by Brendon Brown

Gwendolyn Brooks

Brooks was the first African-American to win a Pulitzer. She hailed Chicago through and through while inspiring a generation of writers.
Jane Addams
Graphic by Brendon Brown

Jane Addams

Out of everyone on this list, Addams probably has the most realistic chance of getting her face on the bill. She was a big player in the women's suffrage movement and the first woman to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.
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Jane Byrne
Graphic by Brendon Brown

Jane Byrne

Byrne was Chicago's first and only female mayor. She faced relentless misogyny while in office, but brought meaningful change to the city in spite of it.
Tina Fey
Graphic by Brendon Brown

Tina Fey

While she isn't originally from Chicago and no longer lives here, Fey got her start as an improv comic at The Second City. She's regularly referenced the city in her work, including using Evanston as the setting for Mean Girls. Chicago can definitely take credit for the rise of one of America's funniest people.
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Lana Wachowski
Graphic by Brendon Brown

Lana Wachowski

The Matrix co-creator underwent a gender transition in 2008. She is a great symbol for the LGBT community in Chicago. Putting her face on the 20 would be a great "F- You" to bigots across the country. (We're talking to you, Indiana General Assembly.)
Michelle Obama
Graphic by Brendon Brown

Michelle Obama

The First Lady might not have the resume of her husband, but she did play a big role in creating the Task Force on Childhood Obesity. Perhaps having her face on the bill will remind Americans to stop eating garbage.
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Maggie Daley
Graphic by Brendon Brown

Maggie Daley

Chicago's late First Lady was a major proponent of green spaces across the city, and now has a glorious park named in her honor. If her portrait makes it onto the 20, Chicagoans will be able to remember her while they pay for rental skates at the park's ice ribbon.
Shonda Rhimes
Graphic by Brendon Brown

Shonda Rhimes

Among many of Rhimes's projects is the hit series Scandal, which is partially based on a former aide to President George H. W. Bush. Politicians might be wise to put her face on the 20 as a gesture of good faith to avoid their own sexual endeavors being appropriated for a massive audience.
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Cindy Crawford
Graphic by Brendon Brown

Cindy Crawford

Crawford is originally from suburban DeKalb, but got her first big break in the city. Why would you print a picture of a crusty old dude when you have a model as an option?
Catherine O'Leary and her cow
Graphic by Brendon Brown

Catherine O'Leary and her cow

Legend has it O'Leary's cow started the Great Chicago Fire in 1871 by tipping over a lantern in the family's barn. If you disregard the lives destroyed and lost in the event, the burning of the city was a blessing. It gave way to a restructuring of Chicago's infrastructure and allowed it to become the "best planned city in the world."
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