Featured Photo Via VP Twitter
This past weekend, President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris joined a number of ‘trailblazer’ celebrities to mark the joyous occasion of women’s history month, officially celebrated in March since 1987. The event was hosted by Glamour at Harris’ official residence, and was attended by artists, activists, journalists, and government figures. It included a notable address by the Vice President, who called for the economic empowerment of more women through social welfare investment.
President Biden’s administration is by all accounts the most women-friendly in American history. The long-term Democratic leader was the first in history to secure a Presidential victory with a female Vice President on the election ticket. Apart from Vice President Kamala Harris, who is of African and South Asian descent, the Biden cabinet has also included an overall record number of women from the start. In addition, the administration has appointed more female judges than any other in American history. Last year, Biden successfully nominated Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, the first Black woman to sit on the Supreme Court of the United States.
Like the past two years, the Democratic administration celebrated this Women’s History Month with a series of public events and ceremonies. One particularly notable instance of this was on Sunday March 19, when Vice President Kamala Harris invited dozens of household-name women to join her, President Biden, and other top lawmakers for a champagne brunch at the VP residence in Washington, D.C. The event was co-hosted by Glamour. New mom and paid family leave advocate Karina Garcia introduced Mrs. Harris for her speech that evening.
The list of attendees runs long, and included accomplished women from a wide array of fields. NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund leader Sherrilyn Ifill, Ambassador Susan Rice, and Fifteen Percent Pledge founder Aurora James, were among the notable Black female activists who were present on the occasion. Politicians such as Nancy Pelosi, the first women to serve as the speaker of the House, also joined Harris.
Several entertainment celebrities were among the chief guests at the ceremony, including DeWanda Wise, Joy-Ann Reid, and Lori Harvey. The musician Meghan Thee Stallion, who recently lost much weight on a long and inspiring public journey, was especially praised for her stunning looks in a black and blue floral sweater and matching A-line skirt.
Vice President Harris spoke on the occasion to highlight the plight of American women, recognize their contributions, and encourage more public spending to uplift them. “Economic empowerment of women is about an investment in the future of our country”, she said. “When you lift up the economic status of women, you lift up the economic status of families and communities, and all of society benefits.”
Harris also brought attention to the grinding unpaid work performed by millions of mothers on a daily basis, acknowledging activist Karina Garcia’s work for shedding light on the issue for years. More broadly, she reminded the nation of “The suffragists, the riveters, the marchers, the mothers and sisters and aunts and grandmothers and daughters, all the giants upon whose broad shoulders we stand.”
Harris later remembered the evening on Twitter in the following words: “I had the honor of celebrating Women’s History Month alongside a phenomenal group of trailblazers. Together, they are fearlessly using their voices to inspire and empower people everywhere.”