CHICAGO — If you think you’re seeing a lot of women wearing white during the final night of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, you don’t need to adjust your television set.
There appeared to be a coordinated effort among female delegates and Democratic supporters as they arrived at the United Center on Thursday afternoon, with security lines and convention floor seats filling up with women clad in white suits, dresses and other attire.
So when Vice President Kamala Harris takes the stage for to accept the Democratic presidential nomination — becoming the first Black woman, and only the second woman overall, to do so — she will be looking out across a sea filled with the color of women’s suffrage, the movement that culminated with American women securing the right to vote in 1920.
The homage is a couture callback to other momentous political events in which women wearing white has played a role, particularly for other glass ceiling moments.
Hillary Clinton donned a white suit when she accepted the Democratic Party’s 2016 presidential nomination. And Geraldine Ferraro — the first female candidate for vice president — wore white when she accepted that nomination at Democrats’ 1984 convention.
There have been other moments, too. In 2019, the women of the U.S. House put on a visual display of solidarity during the State of the Union, joined by some of their male colleagues clad in white jackets or ribbons in support. A year later, on the 100-year anniversary of women’s suffrage, congressional women yet again donned white, as a commitment to defending women’s rights overall.
And again, earlier this year, the Democratic Women’s Caucus announced that many of its members would wear white to the State of the Union, intended as a message in support of reproductive rights.
Kate Gallego, mayor of Phoenix, said party officials had asked delegates to wear white Thursday night in honor of Harris’ nomination.
“A lot of women fought for us to get where we are tonight, and we wanted to be part of the celebration,” Gallego said. “So it’s a forward-looking gesture, but also remembering a lot of people fought hard for today.”
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Meg Kinnard can be reached at http://x.com/MegKinnardAP
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Jack Auresto and Mike Householder contributed to this report.
At the Democratic National Convention (DNC) this year, female delegates paid tribute to the women who fought for the right to vote by wearing white on the night of Kamala Harris’ historic speech as the first woman of color to accept a major party’s vice presidential nomination.
The tradition of wearing white to honor the suffragettes dates back to the early 20th century when women were fighting for the right to vote. The color white became a symbol of purity and virtue, and was often worn by suffragettes as a way to stand out and make a statement.
On the night of Harris’ speech, female delegates at the DNC donned white pantsuits, dresses, and accessories as a nod to the women who paved the way for them to participate in the political process. Many of them also wore suffragette sashes and pins to further emphasize their solidarity with the women who fought for equality.
The decision to wear white on this historic night was not only a tribute to the suffragettes, but also a powerful statement about the progress that has been made in the fight for gender equality. Harris’ nomination as the first woman of color on a major party’s presidential ticket is a significant milestone in American history, and the female delegates at the DNC wanted to show their support and celebrate this momentous occasion.
In addition to honoring the suffragettes, wearing white also served as a reminder of the work that still needs to be done to achieve true gender equality. Despite the progress that has been made, women still face many challenges in politics and society as a whole. By wearing white and standing together in solidarity, female delegates at the DNC were sending a message that they will continue to fight for equal rights and representation for women.
Overall, the decision to wear white on the night of Harris’ speech was a powerful and symbolic gesture that highlighted the importance of honoring the past while looking towards the future. It was a reminder that progress is possible when women come together and support each other in their quest for equality.
