Raven-Symoné put her foot in her mouth while guest hosting The View this week: Discussing the Women On 20s initiative — led by an organization that hopes to bring a female face to the $20 bill — Symoné pointed out that she wasn’t fully in support of the front runner for the honor, Harriet Tubman.
Tubman was selected as the potential honoree among four other famous female finalists: Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Wilma Mankiller, Rosa Parks, and Eleanor Roosevelt. "I don't like it," the 29-year-old former Cosby star explained of the choice to move forward with Tubman. "I understand the history. I get it, trust me. I was taught, I’m in that culture." But, the actress explained she "would have chosen someone that is closer to the progression that we’re doing now."
"I know you have to understand history so you don’t repeat it, but that doesn’t happen in our world, because we still repeat history of hating other cultures over and over again," she went on. "So, I would choose a different [winner], no offense."
Understandably, much offense to her comments was duly taken: Symoné — who stated she would have chosen Rosa Parks — was lambasted on social media, where Twitter users called her ignorant and stupid, among other things.
We get what the actress was trying to say — that Rosa Parks felt like a more relatable example to the progress (a.k.a. “progression”) we’re working to achieve. But, it's clear that getting any worthy woman printed on paper money would be a major win, since U.S. cash has always been a boy's club. We've got a word of advice for Symoné, to that end: Pick your battles.
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