Why some female lawmakers wore white at 2024 State of the Union address

Anthony Robledo, USA TODAY
Updated ·2 min read
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Several House Democratic lawmakers were seen dressed in specific colors at the State of the Union address Thursday, each meant to represent various causes.

President Joe Biden is discussing both domestic and international topics including assistance to Ukraine and the abortion rights in front of members of Congress, Supreme Court justices and several guests.

Ahead of the his entrance, several female House Democratic lawmakers are dressed in all-white. Here's what that means.

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Members of the Democratic caucus applaud as President Joe Biden delivers the State of the Union address to Congress at the U.S. Capitol in Washington on March 7, 2024.
Members of the Democratic caucus applaud as President Joe Biden delivers the State of the Union address to Congress at the U.S. Capitol in Washington on March 7, 2024.

Why some women wore white at the State of the Union

Lawmakers seen wearing all-white at the president's State of the Union are commemorating the 19th Amendment. Passed by Congress in 1919, the law granted women the right to vote following decades of agitation and protest.

Rep. Robin Kelly, the Democrat who represents Illinois's 2nd congressional district, said on X (formerly Twitter) she the color white serves to "symbolize our joint commitment to women's rights"

"We will never stop advocating for women, from reproductive rights to workplace equality," Kelly wrote.

White attire goes back to Women's Suffrage Movement

White clothing has been a symbol for the women's right to vote since the Suffrage Movement, a fight that took that took more than 70 years.

In a 1908 rally over 300,000 protesters wore the color white in London’s Hyde Park, the same year the colors white purple and golden yellow would come to represent the movement.

During former president Donald Trump's State of the Union addresses, Democratic women wore white to honor the movement. Kamala Harris also wore white during her first speech as the Vice President-elect, after she and Biden were elected.

Democratic women members of the House of Representatives wearing white to call attention to women's rights have a snapshot taken before the State of the Union address to Congress at the U.S. Capitol in Washington on March 7, 2024.
Democratic women members of the House of Representatives wearing white to call attention to women's rights have a snapshot taken before the State of the Union address to Congress at the U.S. Capitol in Washington on March 7, 2024.

Women wore blue ahead of Biden's address

Other lawmakers wore blue attire on Wednesday to express solidarity with the Israeli hostages still being held by militant group Hamas in Gaza.

"I wore blue today with my colleagues to stand in solidarity with the Israeli hostages because enough is enough,” Rep. Frederica Wilson, a Democrat representing Florida's 24th congressional district, wrote on X Wednesday. “It’s time we bring back the hostages. And we will wear blue every Wednesday until the hostages are released."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Why women are wearing white at the 2024 State of the Union address