Why Female Democrats Are Planning to Wear Black to Donald Trump's State of the Union Address
At the 2018 Golden Globes, the red carpet was flooded with black dresses and Time’s Up pins, a coordinated protest against sexual abuse and harassment in Hollywood and other industries. Though responses to the blackout (and the efficacy of this type of showing) was mixed, it does appear to have inspired a similar movement in a different field: politics.
NBC News reports that another blackout demonstration against sexual misconduct is in the works—this time, in Washington, D.C., on the occasion of President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address. On January 30, members of Congress, led by the Democratic Women’s Working Group, are invited to wear black to the address as an act of solidarity. Representative Jackie Speier, a Democrat from California who will be participating, told NBC News: “This is a culture change that is sweeping the country, and Congress is embracing it.”
PHOTO: Christopher Polk/NBC
Activist Rosa Clemente, actresses Susan Sarandon and Michelle Williams, and activist Tarana Burke at the 2018 Golden Globes red carpet.
Last year, female Democrats staged a similar fashion demonstration when President Trump addressed a joint session of Congress for the first time: They wore white as an homage to the women’s suffrage movement, and to make a statement about women’s rights. They documented it with the hashtag #WomenWearWhite.
While lawmakers in Washington are often starkly divided by their political affiliations, Speier and other organizers hope that a call to stand up for victims of sexual harassment and abuse will transcend party lines, with members of both parties showing up in black.
Capitol Hill is no stranger to the rampant sexual abuse that has plagued professional environments, from film to farming. A November New York Times report described sexual harassment as an “occupational hazard” for women entering politics; in the same month, fifty women spoke to CNN about their experiences with harassment while working in Washington. And when it comes to individual politicians (mostly male), accusations of sexual misconduct abound: Most notably, President Trump has dodged and denied accusations of sexual harassment since his 2016 campaign, while Senator Al Franken and Representative John Conyers (both Democrats) stepped down from office following allegations of their misconduct.
The Golden Globes blackout was met with criticism, many notes that seeing a sea of black dresses—and reading the statements of actresses who participated—made for one of the most meaningful red carpets in entertainment history. At this time, few politicians have announced their intentions to wear black alongside the Democratic Women’s Working Group to the State of the Union. On January 30, we’ll see which lawmakers step up—and whether the President responds to the protest.
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