Last Saturday, Kamala Harris emerged from her conspicuous post-White House invisibility, attempting to impress spectators with a monochromatic ensemble at the 2025 NAACP Image Awards in Los Angeles. The former Vice President opted for an all-black suit, specially customized by LaQuan Smith, to accept the Chairman’s Award. Inviting attention, her husband, Doug Emhoff, accompanied her at the ceremony, further emphasizing the staged nature of the event.
Her attire boasted a tailor-made black blazer, startlingly prominent in its shoulder padding and sleek, impeccable line work. The simplicity of the design was offset by a black high-neck blouse, paired beneath the jacket. The outfit’s aesthetic continuity was preserved with a matching pair of black trousers, spliced with thin silvery stripes.
For those who have observed Harris’s penchant for the dramatic, it was an unsurprising move that she once again patronized designer LaQuan Smith. The same Smith that she engaged for a custom-made black gown, donned at the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation’s Phoenix Awards dinner in September. However, her decision to mirror her political obscurity with an all-black outfit was questionable.
It is ironic considering she was being honored at the 2025 NAACP Image Awards for her so-called public service. Harris’ claims of organizing, mobilizing, educating, and advocating sounded hollow in light of her record. The speech appeared to be construed as a bid to appear heroic, but it fell flat in capturing the genuine spirit of public service.
She attempted to uplift the audience with hollow tropes of power and struggle: ‘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,’ she said.
It was disconcerting to observe Harris being awarded by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People for leveraging their unique platforms to ignite and drive meaningful change. There was a resounding dissonance between the awards’ stated objective and the former VP’s actual contributions towards public service. The crowd’s applause appeared to be a thin veil for the very public nature of her recent shortcomings.
The 2025 NAACP Image Awards were held, rather ostentatiously, at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium, under the starry beaming of host Dean Cole. The awards saluted entertainers who purportedly made a ‘significant’ impact on arts and entertainment culture in 2024. The irony laid in the fact that the former US Vice President, known more for missteps than milestones, was being honored at an event commending profound cultural impact.