Purple bears significance representing inauguration theme of "American United"

Vice President Kamala Harris made history on the January 20 when she was sworn in as the first female, African American and Asian American vice president. It was a moment of symbolism for the country as she showed young people across The United States that anything is possible if they work for it.

There were also other symbols present at the inauguration including the color worn by Madame Vice President and other prominent figures that were in attendance. The color purple held multiple meanings and was very fitting given the transfer of power from the republicans to the democrats.

Vice President Harris wore purple to represent Shirley Chisholm, one of her biggest inspirations. Chisholm ran for the Democratic nominee position for president in 1972 and was the first black woman to run for this position of power. Chisholm was also the first black woman to be elected to the House of Representatives as she represented the state of New York. The color purple was the color that Chisholm chose for her campaign which was also one of the colors that Harris chose for her campaign. Chisholm paved the way for other women of color, like Harris, to run for president. She knocked down gender and race barriers similar to those knocked down by Harris.

The colors that represent women’s suffrage include purple, white and yellow which is another reason why purple was a symbol at the inauguration.

Other prominent women wore the color purple to the inauguration including former first ladies Michelle Obama and Hillary Clinton and Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren.

"I did wear purple with a purpose because I knew the theme that President Biden was striking was unity,” Clinton said to USA Today. “I thought as you combine red and blue, the way that we are divided politically in our country, you get purple. I wanted just to send a bit of a symbolic message that we need to come together."

First Lady Jill Biden was also seen wearing purple to the COVID memorial service the night before her husband’s inauguration.

The Biden-Harris administration wants to encourage unity in this time when the country has never seemed more divided. Their goal is to cross the aisle and blur the line between the red and the blue. This is why the women chose the color purple, a mixture of blue and red. Blue, the color that represents the democratic party and red the color that represents the republican party. Purple was chosen to represent unity and bipartisanship which they believe the country needs now more than ever.

Courtesy Photo- Wikimedia Commons

Vice President Kamala Harris is sworn in on January 20th. Harris wore purple to the inauguration to represent her greatest inspirations.