What does 'Chucks and pearls' mean? Kamala Harris' Inauguration pearl necklace explained!
By Isabella Wilson
January 20th saw Kamala Harris being sworn in as the Vice-President of the United States but is there a meaning behind the pearl necklace she had? And why does she like to wear Chucks?
The 2021 Inauguration Day was definitely a fashionable one with the likes of Bernie Sanders’ mittens, Ella Emhoff’s Miu Miu and Michelle Obama’s plum and burgundy outfit.
Vice-President Kamala Harris also stole the show wearing a purple outfit and a pearl necklace that holds a special meaning to her.
Pearls and Chucks have been a signature style of Kamala’s outfit but what is the meaning behind them? Let’s explore.
Kamala Harris was sworn in as Vice-President
Kamala Harris was sworn in as Vice-President of the United States on Wednesday, January 20th, becoming the first woman, first Black and the first woman of South Asian descent to hold this position.
After winning the election in November last year, Kamala had a special message to women and “little girls” which said:
“While I may be the first woman in this office, I will not be the last. Because every little girl watching tonight sees that this is a country of possibilities.”
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What do Kamala Harris’ Chucks and pearls mean?
During the 2021 Inauguration, Kamala wore a purple outfit and pearls.
Kamala’s pearl necklace holds a special meaning to her because it represents her Howard University sorority Alpha Kappa Alpha (AKA), the first African-American sorority in the country.
The sorority’s founders are referred to as the ‘Twenty Pearls’ and Kamala has worn pearls during many important occasions since her graduation from university.
As for her Chucks, Kamala simply loves these and she has worn them a lot as part of her campaign trail in the last few months.
The Vice-President went viral on Twitter several times because of her sneakers. Back in September, even Kamala’s sister Maya Harris acknowledged the trending topic of ‘Chuck Taylors’ on Twitter, reacting:
“Chuck Taylors trending lol. Yes, they are in fact her [Kamala’s] go-to.”
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Chuck Taylors trending lol. (Yes, they are in fact her go-to.)
— Maya Harris (@mayaharris_) September 7, 2020
People on social media wear Chucks and pearls
Many people on social media have shown their support to Vice-President Kamala Harris and marked the historic day by wearing Chucks and pearls.
Check out a selection of Twitter posts down below.
Congratulations to Vice President Kamala Harris for making history today! We wore “Pearls and Chucks” to honor this momentous occasion!
— Warren Central HS (@WCHS_Warriors) January 20, 2021
“Our Unity Is Our Strength & Diversity Is Our Power” – Kamala Harris
— Elicia Williams (@ThatsElicia) January 20, 2021
In honor of, The first Black Women as Vice President. We are wearing our Chucks & Pearls in support of you. #PVAMU
These beautiful Black girls wore chucks and pearls to celebrate the inauguration of Kamala Harris. 💜💜
— Madam Vice President Harris is THEE GOAT! (@flywithkamala) January 20, 2021
