A sea of white punctured the somber mood at Tuesday nights State of the Union address when dozens of newly elected female lawmakers appeared dressed predominantly in white the symbolic shade of the American suffragist movement.
The relief was stark among the vast swaths of dark blue suits, de rigueur for the halls of Congress.
A record 131 women now serve in Congress, representing about 25 percent of the Senate and House of Representatives. Of these women, 108 are Democrats, 23 are Republican.
Their appearance en masse Tuesday night released an energy that was not only visible but palpable as they reacted in unison to the presidents remarks.
Sadly, some saw the womens presence as a threat.
Bitches in Heat! responded Tim Stewart, former mayor and now president of the Chamber of Commerce of New Britain, Ct., on Facebook alongside a photo of the women during the formal address.
Yes, weve a long way to go.
When President Donald Trump spoke of all the advancements women have made in the workforce since he took office, the women jumped to their feet and cheered. Thats us! they seemed to say, as they hugged, cheered, and passed around high-fives.
And while he may have wanted the praise turned his way, noting, You werent supposed to do that! he gamely turned the other cheek.
The women rose again when Mr. Trump made note of the upcoming 100-year-anniversary that gave (white) women the right to vote with the 19th Amendment, leading a rousing chorus of USA, USA.
Of course it would be another 50 years before African-Americans as a whole were guaranteed the right to vote through the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
For todays women, choosing to wear white as a statement has expanded from suffrage to womens rights as a whole.
On the spectrum of colors, it takes the primary colors of red, green and blue to make the color white.
So the next time you see women dressed as such, think of them as uniters, not dividers.
Susan Lynn
