The Women on 20s campaign has narrowed its field to the final four candidates to replace Andrew Jackson on the US $20 bill: Eleanor Roosevelt, Harriet Tubman, Rosa Parks, and Wilma Mankiller. (Here is the campaign website)
Public historians, what considerations and consequences are most important in this decision? Should current public recognition of the figure be taken into account? Should we take into consideration how recently the candidates have deceased?
How should we think about race in this situation? If we put a non-white woman on the new bill, have we made the currency more representative of the population? Or have we made one bill a token for all previously disenfranchised groups? How do public historians think about and deal with tokenism?
Other currencies have been moving away from portraits entirely. What is the field's current thinking on using individuals to represent a broader culture, experience, or nation?
I'm not a "public historian" but a minority woman has been on currency before. The Sacagawea dollar coin has been circulating since 2000. And even before that women and minorities have been on currency. In 1886, '91 and '96 Martha Washington appeared on the $1 silver certificate (the one dollar bill) and in more recent memory in the 1980s and 90s Susan B Anthony was on the dollar coin.
As for minorities Native Americans have also appeared on American currency. In 1899 the $5 silver certificate featured chief Running Antelope. Also, arguably the most popular American coin ever, the buffalo nickel, circulating from 1913-1939 featured general Native American head bust.
In regards to the being dead for at least two years part, JFK was assassinated in 1963, but put on the half dollar in 1964. Although it the 2 year rule is a law now, as long as they have been dead for two years it should have no effect on any judgements made.
So, in conclusion although American currency has been dominated by Presidents, other important minority figures have been on American currency without any major impact. (with perhaps the exception of the buffalo nickel which started thousands of coin collections and popularized coin collecting)