When Vice President Kamala Harris takes the stage on the final night of the Democratic National Convention to accept her party’s nomination for president, she is greeted by a sea of ​​people dressed in white.

Many delegates in the chamber wore white sport jackets, white dresses, white T-shirts and white hats to honor the suffragists who fought for women’s right to vote just over a century ago.

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White – as well as purple and gold – were the official colors of the National Woman’s Party and the broader women’s suffrage movement, according to an early party mission statement cited by The New York Times.

“White, the symbol of purity, symbolizes the quality of our purpose,” it said.

Her legacy will have a special impact on Thursday night’s negotiations, which will culminate in the nomination of the first black and Indian-American woman as the Democratic Party’s nominee.

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The coordinated fashion movement emerged over social media, according to NPR, with organizers posting about the plan in Facebook groups. (The Associated Press reported that party officials on Thursday urged delegates to wear white clothing.)

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One of the organizers, Fadia Halma, told the outlet: “I think it’s really important that she sees us and that we’re all standing by her side when she’s up there and she looks out and sees all of us in white.”

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The political significance of the color white is also linked to the Democratic Party conventions in 2016, when Hillary Clinton wore a white pantsuit to accept her nomination, and in 1984, when Geraldrine Ferraro, the first female vice presidential candidate, also wore white.

“A lot of women fought for us to be where we are tonight, and we wanted to be part of the celebration,” Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego told AP. “So it’s a forward-looking gesture, but also a reminder of a lot of people who fought hard for today.”