For women of color, fashion is inherently political. By carefully choosing their attire, Black and Brown women have long used clothing as a tool of resistance and a catalyst for social change. From civil rights to today’s protests, their style sends powerful messages that demand equity and acknowledgement.
During the civil rights movement, leaders like Fannie Lou Hamer and Dorothy Height understood the impact of dressing professionally in skirts and dresses during protests. Seeing well-dressed Black women brutally beaten and hosed down juxtaposed the racist myth of Black people as dirty and poor. These jarring images helped gain white sympathy and support to end oppressive Jim Crow laws.
In recent years, women of color in Congress have made bold style choices to highlight lack of representation and ongoing injustices. In 2019, Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ilhan Omar, Ayanna Pressley and Rashida Tlaib wore symbolic white outfits to the State of the Union, referencing the suffragist movement that initially excluded women of color.
At the 2022 Met Gala, Viola Davis and Quannah Chasinghorse subtly challenged the event’s tribute to controversial designer Karl Lagerfeld using pink dresses and nods to their heritage. Their fashion asserted agency for women of color in spaces that have historically ignored their voices.
Through intentional aesthetic and sartorial choices, Black, Indigenous, Latinx and other women of color continue to refashion expectations, demand visibility, and prompt cultural shifts. Their style is a universal language that articulates resistance and liberates their identities.