The Meaning Of Chucks & Pearls For Kamala Harris’s Campaign Runs Deep

From coconut trees to existing in the context, The social media trends associated with Kamala Harris’s campaign for president have been very interesting, from the famed coconut trees to existing in the context. However, one specific trend from four years ago is making a comeback that has a lot of meaning for Harris: Chucks and pearls. These two accessories aren’t just about a look for the current vice president — they both are very significant to her campaign. 

In 2021, women across the country wore Chucks (aka Converse All Stars) and pearls on Inauguration Day to support 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 accepted the Democratic presidential nomination for president, the movement is spreading again — and those behind it are encouraging voters to break out their Chucks and pearls to show support for Harris.

Not only have Harris’s pearls become a part of her signature look, but they also carry meaning, too. When she accepted the Democratic vice presidential nomination in 2020, she thanked those in her sorority, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc., the first Black sorority in the United States. In the sorority’s honor, Harris has always worn pearls at notable moments in her life, including when she was sworn into Congress and during her vice presidential victory speech on Nov. 7.

Harris was initiated into Alpha Kappa Alpha in 1986 at Howard University. In fact, you can even see Harris wearing the symbolic jewel in her college graduation portrait. 

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

Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated was founded on Jan. 15, 1908, and has significant members including Phylicia Rashad, Maya Angelou, and Rosa Parks. The strand of 20 pearls represents the 20 founders and incorporators of the historic Black sorority. Not only are the sorority’s founders referred to as the “Twenty Pearls,” but each new member is given a special badge decorated with 20 pearls upon initiation. 

In a 2020 interview with Vanity Fair, Glenda Glover, former international president of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. told the publication that AKA’s pearls are meant to represent “refinement and wisdom.” 

“We train young ladies to be leaders and to make sure they have the wisdom to lead… and that goes hand in hand with the true meaning of what AKA is all about,” Glover said.

As for the Chucks, Kamala made the casual shoe her official look while on the vice presidential campaign trail. She even sported a pair when featured on the cover of Vogue. To Harris, the shoes speak to who she is as an everyday American and act as 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.”

With her Chucks and pearls at the ready, Kamala Harris is ready to unite everyone across the U.S. as the Democratic party’s presidential nominee.