Kamala Harris Earns High Marks For White Suit At Victory Speech, A Symbolic Gesture For Women

Kamala Harris earned high marks for the white suit she wore while speaking at a victory celebration after the 2020 presidential race was officially called in favor of Joe Biden, putting her in line to be the first woman to be vice president.

Harris spoke on Saturday evening, hours after major networks called the race in favor of Biden. After days of counting votes and tight races, the Democratic candidate built a large enough lead in the state of Pennsylvania for many to call the state — and the election — in his favor.

With cars honking at the socially distanced event in Delaware, Harris spoke about bringing the nation together under the incoming administration and praised her running mate for selecting a woman to be on the ticket alongside him.

As USA Today noted on Twitter, the white suit had symbolism behind the high marks it received on social media. Many Democratic women have taken to wearing white as a symbol of the suffragist movement. After the 2018 midterm elections that saw Democrats retake control of the House of Representatives, many of the incoming freshmen chose to wear white at their swearing in ceremonies.

As Vox noted at the time, the effort was led by Florida Rep. Lois Frankel, who said the color was a political statement.

“We wear white to unite against any attempts by the Trump administration to roll back the incredible progress women have made in the last century, and we will continue to support the advancement of all women,” Frankel said. “We will not go back.”

The report noted that other political trailblazers have worn the color. Geraldine Ferraro wore all white in 1984 when she became the first woman to accept a vice presidential nomination of a major party, and Shirley Chisholm did the same in 1969 when she became the first African American woman ever to be elected to Congress.

Harris conveyed the same sentiment in her speech. During the remarks, she referenced the historic nature of the moment and hoped that it would serve as an example to girls watching at home across the country.

Others took note of her nod to history.

“A century after the passage of the 19th Amendment, Kamala Harris takes the stage in a white suit, the vice president-elect, and says that while she may be the first woman to hold the office, she will not be the last,” tweeted New York Times editor Lauren Wolfe.