What to Know About Kamala Harris’ Viral Coconut Tree Meme: ‘You Exist in the Context of Everything You Live in’
President Joe Biden’s announcement Sunday that he is ending his re-election campaign and the vice president of support Kamala Harris The vice president’s election to the White House sparked a rush within the Democratic Party. It also sparked a new wave of memes about the vice president, including one about a coconut tree.
But what does a coconut tree have to do with Harris?
It was May 10, 2023, when Harris spoke at a swearing-in ceremony for commissioners of an initiative to expand educational opportunities for Hispanic and Latino Americans. During the event, Harris spoke about the importance of channeling resources so that children in these demographics know “that they can aspire, that they have ambition, and that they can reach the full potential that God has given them.”
Harris said that to achieve this, there is a need to focus on establishing equity.
“Many of us come from movements that fought for equality,” she said at the time. “We also understand that there is a difference between equality and equity.”
The latter of the two terms, she explained, means that “not everyone starts from the same base.”
“If you give everybody the same amount of money but they’re starting from different bases, are they really going to have the opportunity to compete and succeed?” she asked. “And it’s not just about financial resources, that’s a very important piece. But it’s also about what the culture of the environment is. How do we approach this in a way that understands that we can’t support and help our young people if we don’t take into account the context in which these young people live and are raised?”
This is where the coconut tree comes in.
“None of us live in a vacuum. Everything exists in context,” she continued. “My mother would sometimes give us a hard time and say, ‘I don’t know what’s wrong with you kids. Do you think you fell off a coconut tree?’ You exist in the context of everything around you and everything that came before you.”
As TikTok creator Isvari Maranwe explains: “You can be two kids, working equally hard, but if someone comes from a much harder background, they’re going to have a harder time getting by.”
“You come from a family background and you have opportunities in this field that may be different than others,” she said.
For example, a 2023 study published by ECMC Group and VICE Media Group found that of more than 1,000 low-income, first-generation, and BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) high school seniors, only 8 percent felt fully prepared for their post-high school plans. And when asked what their top needs were when making a decision, about a third cited the need for food, safe housing, or physical self-care. More than half were unsure how they would pay for college.
Disparities extend beyond education. There are well-documented and studied disparities in health careaccommodation, incomeaccess to healthy food and more.
The White House released a fact sheet last week outlining new actions to expand opportunities for Latino communities, including the creation of the White House Initiative to Promote Equity, Excellence, and Economic Opportunity in Education through Hispanic-Serving Institutions, a new immigration process, and service initiatives.
As Harris refocuses her sights in the coming days on securing the Democratic nomination for November’s presidential election, her campaign is channeling the meaningful coconut meme — and others — to pave the way ahead.
“Providing context,” Harris’s campaign’s official rapid response page says in her X bio.
