Unwilling to let a delicious controversy to go by without weighing in – this time about a Nobel Peace Prize nomination, debates about images on U.S. currency or legislation to get their hero’s face on a coin – well, here I go again. The names we’re talking about here are, respectively, Nobel Prize aspirant Donald J. Trump, Harriet Tubman versus Andrew Jackson on currency and the late Charlie Kirk on a coin.
Yes, here we go again folks!
To begin, initially I didn’t know if an idea from my friend “Sis Faith” was a serious one or not. Then again, I figured that she knew that yours truly has a weakness for the Nobel Prize, particularly award winners in the literature category. As many know, I’ll judiciously drop a prize winner’s name in my narratives from time to time. But to be abundantly clear, I’ve no illusions, real or imagined, of ever winning the Nobel Prize for Literature myself. I mean my chances would be like one in 10 billion. No way. No mas. Case closed.
Now with all that aside, here’s the text message I received the other day from “Sis Faith,” one that I initially laughed off as amusing before allowing it to sink in for a minute:
“Terry, I have a commentary idea for your consideration: Threats to the integrity and legacy of the Nobel Peace Prize! Does this idea give lift to your brows or gnaw in your gut?”
Of course, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist – or a Nobel Laureat for that matter – to figure that behind her message is the move underway in some quarters to get the United States President to receive the Nobel Peace Prize and, if my memory serves me well, he’s even hinted at nominating himself for the prize. Well word on the street is that his chances of receiving the award are slim to none, but as we all know these are not normal times.
Now let’s begin by setting the prize’s historical record straight, shall we?
The Nobel Prize was set up when businessman and entrepreneur Alfred Nobel died and left the majority of his fortune to the establishment of prizes in physics, chemistry, physiology or medicine, literature and peace. His will stated that the prizes should be awarded to “those who, during the preceding year, shall have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind.”
In order to become a Nobel Prize laureate, one must first be nominated by an eligible nominator. Sorry to disappoint Mr. Trump, but self-nominations are not allowed. Except for the Nobel Peace Prize, nominations are by invitation only and nominators must fulfill the criteria set out by the awarding institutions. Eligible nominations are then considered by the awarders who make the final decision as to who will receive a Nobel Prize.
A total of 21 prizes have been awarded to U.S. citizens, the most recent of whom was President Obama. Beginning with Theodore Roosevelt in 1906, there have been 18 American men and three American women who have been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.
Several U.S. Presidents have been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, all recognized for their significant contributions to peace and diplomacy during their lifetimes. Here’s a list of them and the years they received the award:
Theodore Roosevelt – Awarded in 1906 for mediating the end of the Russo-Japanese War.
Woodrow Wilson – Awarded in 1919 for his efforts in establishing the League of Nations after World War I.
Jimmy Carter – Awarded in 2002 for his decades of work in promoting peace, democracy and human rights.
Barack Obama – Awarded in 2009 for his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples.
One more thing before I go – actually two, maybe more – this time having to do with facial images on currency and coins. First, American abolitionist and social activist Harriet Tubman whose face on our $20 bill replacing slave holder Andrew Jackson has been challenged by the current administration as “pure political correctness.”
Second and not to be outdone, Republican lawmakers are preparing to introduce a bill that could place the late conservative activist Charlie Kirk’s face on U.S. currency. The legislation would direct the U.S. Treasury to mint 400,000 silver dollar coins bearing Kirk’s and would feature his full name and the year 2026. On the reverse, the design would include the words: “Well done, good and faithful servant.”
What’s next on the ever-contentious images battlefront? Well, it seems to me that which faces should be on our postage stamps, which national anthem should be sung during the Super Bowl, should we resurrect the names and images of the old Confederacy and Lord know what else may be next in our cultural cross hairs.
So fasten your seatbelts readers and replenish your supply of popcorn for what promises to be a bumpy ride.
Okay “Sis Faith,” I’ll give you a call later this week and let you know if my brows are lifted or if there’s a gnaw in my gut.
Terry Howard is an award-winning writer, a contributing writer with the Chattanooga News Chronicle, The American Diversity Report, The Douglas County Sentinel, Blackmarket.com, recipient of the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Leadership Award, and third place winner of the Georgia Press Award.