Emmy-winning and Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Maria Hinojosa will serve as the keynote speaker for the Jovita Idar quarter celebration slated for Thursday, September 14 at the UTSA Downtown Campus.

The event, co-hosted by UTSA, the United States Mint and the National Women’s History Museum, will celebrate the release of the latest coin in the American Women Quarters™ Program. The coin features Idar, a Mexican-American journalist, activist, teacher and suffragist.

Hinojosa’s career in journalism spans nearly three decades and includes reporting for WGBH, PBS, CBS, WNBC, CNN and National Public Radio (NPR). She is the anchor and executive producer of the Peabody Award-winning show Latino USA, distributed by NPR, and was an anchor for the Emmy Award-winning talk show from WGBH Maria Hinojosa: One-on-One. She is also a contributor to the long-running, award-winning news program CBS Sunday Morning and a frequent guest on MSNBC.

“Maria Hinojosa has dedicated her life to uplifting diverse communities,” said Teresa Niño, UTSA vice president for university relations. “As a reporter, she shares stories and perspectives that are often overlooked or underreported by others. As a mentor, she is inspiring the next generation of diverse journalists to continue these important conversations. It is so fitting that Maria will join UTSA’s Hispanic Heritage Month kickoff to celebrate the life and legacy of Jovita Idar.”

Similar to Idar, who used her journalism work to make an impact, Hinojosa has been a critical voice for the diverse American experience. She was the first Latina to anchor a PBS FRONTLINE report: “Lost in Detention,” which aired in 2011 and was the first to explore abuse at immigrant detention facilities, garnering attention from Capitol Hill, mainstream media and Spanish-language media. As a reporter for NPR, she was among the first to report on youth violence in urban communities on a national scale.

As a reporter who was the first Latina in many newsrooms, Hinojosa dreamt of a space where she could create independent journalism that explores and gives a critical voice to the diverse American experience. In 2010, she founded Futuro Media, an independent, nonprofit newsroom based in Harlem, New York City, with the mission to create multimedia content from the perspective of people of color. As co-host of Through the Thick, Futuro Media’s award-winning political podcast, Hinojosa has informed millions of people about the changing cultural and political landscape in America and abroad.

Hinojosa is the author of two books and has won dozens of awards including four Emmys, the John Chancellor Award, the Studs Terkel Community Media Award, two Robert F. Kennedy Awards, the Edward R. Murrow Award from the Overseas Press Club and the Ruben Salazar Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Association of Hispanic Journalists. Additionally, Hinojosa has been recognized by People En Espanol as one of the 25 most powerful Latina women.

The September 14 quarter event in San Antonio will kick off UTSA’s annual Hispanic Heritage Month celebration while honoring Idar’s impact and UTSA’s role as one of the nation’s leading Hispanic Serving Institutions.

The event will begin with “The Historical Significance, Public Impact, and Legacy of Jovita Idar,” a roundtable scheduled from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. in the Buena Vista Street Building’s Aula Canaria (BVB 1.328) at the UTSA Downtown Campus, followed by the Jovita Idar Quarter Release Celebration at 7 to 8 p.m. in the building’s adjacent theater (BVB 1.326). Hinojosa will deliver her keynote address at the 7 p.m. event. Idar’s family will attend the celebration. 

The Jovita Idar Quarter is the ninth coin in the American Women Quarters™ Program, a four-year program that celebrates the accomplishments and contributions made by women of the United States. Beginning in 2022, and continuing through 2025, the United States Mint will issue up to five new reverse designs each year. 

The obverse (heads) depicts a portrait of George Washington, originally composed and sculpted by Laura Gardin Fraser to mark George Washington’s 200th birthday. A recommended design for the 1932 quarter, then-Treasury Secretary Andrew W. Mellon ultimately selected the familiar John Flanagan design.

The reverse (tails), designed by medallic artist John P. McGraw, features a depiction of Idar with her hands clasped. Within her body are inscriptions representing some of her greatest accomplishments and the newspapers for which she wrote.

The Quarter Release Celebration will be free and open to the public. All attendees will receive a complimentary Jovita Idar Quarter in an American Women Quarters™ Collector Coin Board

— Christi Fish, UTSA