Sen. Hirono announces release of quarter honoring Maui’s Patsy T. Mink

US Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI) announced the official release of the new Patsy T. Mink quarter, which is part of the US Mint’s American Women Quarters Program for 2024.

Senator Hirono was joined by University of Hawai’i President David Lassner, Hawaiʻi Department of Education Superintendent Keith Hayashi, and community advocates for gender equity to highlight Congresswoman Mink’s legacy as the author of Title IX, and the ongoing importance of gender equity in education. 

“As the first woman of color to serve in Congress, Patsy Mink was a trailblazer who fought to ensure that generations of girls and women could have every opportunity men have,” said Senator Hirono. “Congresswoman Mink’s legacy lives on through Title IX, the landmark legislation she authored to outlaw sex-based discrimination in education. As we work to build on the progress she made, I am proud to announce the launch of this quarter honoring Patsy and her legacy, so that people across our state and country can learn more about her life and contributions to the fight for social justice, equality, and civil rights.”

In 2021, Senator Hirono sent a letter to Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen urging the Mint to include the late Congresswoman Mink in the American Women Quarters Program. She also advocated for a quarter commemorating Edith Kanakaʻole, which was put into circulation last year.

Senator Hirono, President Lassner, and Superintendent Hayashi were joined by Ashley Badis, a University of Hawaiʻi student and Title IX advocate; Wookie Kim, Legal Director at ACLU Hawaiʻi; and Brandy Richardson, Kamehameha Schools Co-Athletic Director and a former Big West Conference Defensive Player of the Year.

“All of us at the University of Hawaiʻi are beyond proud and grateful to have been part of the important work of Patsy Takemoto Mink and to be able to celebrate this milestone honoring her today,” said University of Hawaiʻi President David Lassner. “Patsy is a distinguished UH alumna who left a lasting legacy to the world with the enactment of Title IX. UH stands fully committed to the values of equity, inclusion, and justice that are championed through what is now known as the ‘Patsy T. Mink Equal Opportunity in Education Act.’ And we stand fully committed to the hard work we know is needed by all of us to create a future free from all forms of sex discrimination and that provides equal opportunity and access to education for all.”

“We all know what a trailblazer Patsy Mink was for gender and racial equity and the important legacy – and responsibility – she left behind with Title IX,” said Superintendent Keith Hayashi. “The Department of Education is committed to ensuring that our schools are places where every student feels valued, empowered, and free from bias. While there is still much work to be done, our Civil Rights Compliance Branch has been expanding its in-house expertise and capacity to better support schools through extensive training and the hiring of two dedicated specialists to focus on gender equity in athletics as well as diversity, equity and inclusion.”

“The release of Patsy Mink’s quarter serves as a reminder for us to continue to fight for gender equity,” said Ashley Badis, a University of Hawaiʻi student and Title IX advocate. “It is thanks to Title IX that myself and other women, have been able to carry on her legacy.”

“Patsy Mink’s commitment to equity in female sports has inspired generations of women,” said Kamehameha Schools Co-Athletic Director Brandy Richardson. “Her legacy has helped me understand that part of my kuleana as a female leader in a male-dominated field is to help to pave the way for the next generation of women to pursue positions of influence.”

“The Patsy T. Mink quarter serves as a powerful reminder of Congresswoman Mink’s enduring impact on civil rights and the importance of her contributions in shaping a more equitable society,” said Wookie Kim, Legal Director at ACLU Hawaiʻi. “The quarter also reminds us that we must recommit ourselves today to the ongoing fight for equality and justice for all.”

The Patsy T. Mink quarters are now available for purchase on the US Mint’s website. More information is available here.

Authorized by  the Circulating Collectible Coin Redesign Act of 2020, the American Women Quarters Program features coins with designs emblematic of the accomplishments and contributions of prominent American women. Contributions come from a wide spectrum of fields including, but not limited to, suffrage, civil rights, abolition, government, humanities, science, space, and the arts. The women honored come from ethnically, racially, and geographically diverse backgrounds. The Mint will issue five coins with different reverse designs annually over the four-year period from 2022 through 2025.