For women of color, wearing hoops – especially those of the shoulder-grazing variety – has come with plenty of criticism. With some calling the dangly earrings unprofessional and others labeling them “ghetto,” wearing these spherical baubles has become an act of resistance for some. That’s why it’s not surprising that many women of color were moved when Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez sported a sizable pair for her inauguration into Congress. Wearing her signature red lip and a white suit – which she chose to pay tribute to suffragettes and Shirley Chisholm – AOC made a statement on Thursday and channeled Sonia Sotomayor.
People definitely took notice of her earrings and thanked her for representing Latinas and other women of color. They also mentioned the fact that she chose to wear the earrings for the inauguration, something many women of color can relate to when they wear their hoops for the first day of work (but not to the interview in case their employers make an assumption about them based on their earrings of choice). Check out a few of the touching responses below.