Why Vice President Kamala Harris Wore Purple on Inauguration Day
Today, Kamala Harris takes her position as the 49th Vice President of The United States of America, making her the FIRST female and FIRST person of color to ever hold…
WASHINGTON, DC – JANUARY 20: Kamala Harris is sworn in as vice president by Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor as her husband Doug Emhoff holds the Bible during the 59th Presidential Inauguration at the U.S. Capitol on January 20, 2021 in Washington, DC. During today’s inauguration ceremony Joe Biden becomes the 46th president of the United States. (Photo by Andrew Harnik – Pool/Getty Images)
Today, Kamala Harris takes her position as the 49th Vice President of The United States of America, making her the FIRST female and FIRST person of color to ever hold the position. WOW!
Madame Vice President Kamala Harris looked absolutely stunning in her all purple pants suit. But why purple? Well, Vice President Harris is wearing purple to honor Shirley Chisholm.
A headshot of African American educator and U.S. Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm, 1973. Chisholm was the first black woman elected to the U.S. Congress and the first woman to run for president in 1971. (Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images)
In 1968, Shirley became the FIRST Black woman elected to the United States Congress serving 7 terms. She is also the FIRST African-American Presidential candidate for a major party's nomination and the FIRST woman to run for the Democratic party's presidential nomination. Vice President Harris regularly acknowledges Shirley Chisholm for paving the way for women of color.
"The number of times I’ve heard the word 'no'—or that something can’t be done—in my lifetime is too many to count. I’m honored to be considered a “first,” but I always think about the people who came before and paved the way for me to get where I am today. From Rosa Parks to Shirley Chisholm to Congressman John Lewis, I stand on the shoulders of so many great men and women before me." - Vice President Kamala Harris for Harper's Baazar
