As you might remember, women across the country donned Chucks (Converse All Stars) and pearls on Inauguration Day 2021 to pay homage to Kamala Harris, the first woman, the first Black woman, and the first person of South Asian ancestry in U.S. history to assume the role of vice-president. Now that she has officially accepted the democratic presidential nomination, the widespread movement is gaining traction once more — and the political activists behind it are encouraging voters to break out their Chucks and pearls to show support for Harris.
The initiative was organized in Facebook groups like Chucks and Pearls Day, January 20th, 2021 and Wear Pearls on Jan 20th, 2021, with over 90,000 and 450,000 members, respectively. “We love our new VP and we know how much she loves chucks and of course, those Pearls,” one description reads. “We want women from all walks of life to honor her by wearing chucks and pearls.”
Thrilled to be the commencement speaker this year at my beloved alma mater @HowardU. Here’s my graduation photo for posterity. pic.twitter.com/tiHTvnOSpc
— Vice President Kamala Harris (@VP) March 28, 2017
The “about” section of the Chucks and Pearls Day Facebook page was recently updated with a new set of objectives ahead of the 2024 election. “We are excited about your commitment to volunteering, getting involved with the Democratic Party, and showing your support by wearing Chucks and Pearls, one of our future Presidents favorite sneakers, it’s truly inspiring,” it reads.
“One of our initiatives is dedicating the 20th of each month as Chucks and Pearls Day. For the rest of 2024, we encourage members to post pictures while engaging in volunteer activities. Your volunteering, enthusiasm, and dedication will make a real difference in helping VP Harris gain the key to the Oval Office 2024!”
Harris’s pearls have become a signature look because they have particular importance to her. When she accepted the Democratic vice-presidential nomination, Harris thanked the family she found in her sorority, Alpha Kappa Alpha — one of the country’s oldest historically Black sororities, with notable members like Maya Angelou, Coretta Scott King, and Rosa Parks. The sorority’s founders were referred to as the Twenty Pearls, and today, its members are known as “pearls.” In their honor, Harris has worn pearls at significant moments in her life, including when she graduated from Howard University, when she was sworn into Congress, and during her victory speech on November 7.
As for the Converse, the vice-president made the casual shoe her look on the campaign trail. Her team put out playful messages like “Laced up and ready to win,” and more recently she wore the shoe on her polarizing Vogue cover. According to Harris, the sneakers tell a story about who she is as an everyday American; they’re a symbol of universality. “We all wanna go back to some basic stuff about who we are as a country,” Harris said in an interview with Complex. “Chucks — whatever your background is, whatever language your grandmother spoke — you know, we all at some point or another had our Chucks.”
Laced up and ready to win.pic.twitter.com/scLX6nNJXo
— Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) September 7, 2020
With Chucks and pearls, Harris is already uniting women across the U.S. on her first day on the job.
