Vice President Kamala Harris has recently received a lot of backlash online after she posted a photo on Sunday of her posing unmasked with a young masked Black girl.
My message to Black women and girls everywhere: Never ask for permission to lead. pic.twitter.com/vimjDeItFG
— Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) February 19, 2023
Harris posted the photo on Twitter along with the message, “My message to Black women and girls everywhere: Never ask for permission to lead.” However, many online pointed out the irony between the image being used and the message that Harris chose to promote.
Defense attorney Marina Medvin responded to the photo by asking about the girl needing permission “to breathe freely.”
Noam Blum, a conservative Twitter personality pointed out that nowhere in the description is it mentioned that the girl is masked, while civil liberties attorney Jenin Younes questioned how Harris was promoting a message of leadership when she was “muffling a child.”
Comedian Bridget Phetasy also expressed outrage over watching an unmasked adult hanging out around children who are masked.
The photo was taken in July 2021, during an event in which Harris celebrated the American Rescue Plan, which would provide families with Child Tax Credit relief payments.
This is not the first time that Harris has come under fire for appearing maskless during an event while surrounded by masked schoolchildren. In April, Harris had appeared surrounded by masked children during an event in Washington, D.C. At the time her office had defended her actions, stating that city guidance had made masking optional for both students and staff.