Kamala Harris, who had a brief stint as Vice President of the United States, had a public event recently – the 2025 NAACP Image Awards – since her departure from the government. It’s intriguing how she decided to don an all-black outfit by LaQuan Smith. This was not her first association with the designer, signalling a questionable relationship with high-end fashion while the everyday American struggles.
Accompanied by her spouse Doug Emhoff, Harris’s peculiar choice to deck out in monochrome black raised eyebrows. Does she see herself as some sort of dark knight, saviour of a fictional Gotham? The suit was a blatant walking advertisement for the designer, overshadowing the theme of the event she was attending.
Harris strutted around in a black blazer, high in structure and presumably price, exhibiting a scarlet-letterish arrogance. It’s hard to ignore the suggestion that those in power continue to flaunt luxury while the rest of America faces real challenges. Underneath the blazer, a plain black high-neck blouse added to her display of drab sobriety.
Completing her frock, Harris wore black trousers lined with soft silver streaks. Once again, there’s a striking absence of color and vitality. It seems like this former Vice President falls under the sway of the fashion industry rather than connecting authentically with the average citizen.
In fact, she had earlier collaborated with LaQuan Smith for a custom black gown worn at the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation’s annual Phoenix Awards dinner in September. While more fashion than function seemed to be the theme across her appearances, it did little in terms of building common ground with the audience.
The context for Harris’s gloomy sartorial choice was her reception of the Chairman’s Award at the 2025 NAACP Image Awards. Ostensibly, she parlayed her public stint to nab this accolade, but one should question the basis of the award and the criteria used to evaluate the ‘public service’ of the recipients.
In her acceptance speech, Harris let loose a torrent of clichés. The platitudes about power, organization, and advocacy might sound compelling to some, but they ring hollow without substantial action backing them.
Further spouting, ‘Our power has never come from having an easy path. Our strength flows from our faith — faith in God, faith in each other and our refusal to surrender to cynicism and destruction. Not because it is easy, but because it is necessary. Not because victory is guaranteed, but because the fight is worth it,” the former Vice President goals at grand linguistics, but fails to display any solid commitment to said ideals.
Definitionally, the Chairman’s Award is given to individuals seen as ‘excelling in public service’ and using their platforms to ‘ignite and drive meaningful change’. Yet, it’s worth questioning how accurately and fairly these phrases were applied in the case of Harris. In an era where the term ‘public service’ is woefully wide-ranging, one has to wonder the real value of such awards.
Behind these empty award ceremonies is the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), evidently satisfied with their selection of a candidate whose service to the public during her tenure as Vice President left much to be desired.
Held on Saturday evening at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium, the 2025 NAACP Image Awards were hosted by Dean Cole. They aim to honor the individuals who’ve made a significant impact on arts and entertainment culture in the year prior, but, frankly, fall short of steering meaningful dialogue around arts culture and social issues.
While Harris may have walked away with an award and some applause, it appears the event, and the award, is more about creating a spectacle than championing real change in public service, literature, or entertainment culture.
Harris’s visage in a tailor-made high-end suit does little to negate the negative impressions that have followed her throughout her stint in the government, only reinforcing her image as out-of-touch with the average citizen.
To wrap this up, Harris’s recent public appearance at the 2025 NAACP Image Awards, her attire, her award acceptance, and her less-than-inspiring discourse all contribute to a seeming show of arrogance and disconnect. It’s an affront to the struggling average American who needs genuine advocates and not passing formalities.
Perhaps in future, Harris and her ilk might consider focusing on making real changes and positively impacting the lives of their constituents rather than playing dress up and using public platforms for personal accolades.