On February 25th, Rochester’s journalism class visited the Illinois State Capitol in Springfield, and almost every senator and representative on the floor was wearing red. At first, it was kind of confusing, but it turns out there was a specific reason for it.
February is American Heart Month. The American Heart Association runs a campaign every year where they encourage people to wear red to raise awareness for heart disease, particularly in women. Heart disease is actually the leading cause of death for women in the United States, which is a very underrepresented statistic. The official day is called National Wear Red Day, and it typically falls on the first Friday of February, but the awareness and the red outfits tend to go throughout the whole month.
State legislators across the country participate in this. When members of the Illinois General Assembly showed up to the Capitol wearing the same color on that day, it was always planned. Party leaders or organizers will put the word out ahead of time so everyone shows up coordinated. It is a way of using their public platform to support a cause without needing to give a speech about it. The cameras were on, so everyone could see it.
This kind of coordinated dressing actually happens pretty regularly in both state capitols and in Washington D.C. It isn’t always about health awareness either. Legislators have shown up in various other colors like white before to honor the women’s suffrage movement, blue or yellow in support of Ukraine, or orange for awareness of gun violence. Each color means something different depending on what is going on in the country or world at the time. It has basically become one of the main ways lawmakers show where they stand on an issue without needing to hold a press conference or make a formal statement.
It is also worth noting that this tradition crosses party lines sometimes. Even though red is associated with the Republican Party, wearing red for heart health is something both Democrats and Republicans have participated in. When it comes to an issue like that, politics tends to take a back seat.
So what I saw that day was most likely the members of the Illinois General Assembly showing their support for heart health awareness. It was not random at all. It was a deliberate choice, and honestly it is a pretty sweet thing to do!
