Kamala Harris’ ‘Coconut Tree’ Meme Explained

Kamala Harris’ ‘Coconut Tree’ Meme Explained

In the weeks leading up to President Joe Biden’s shock announcement Sunday that he would suspend his reelection campaign and endorse Vice President Kamala Harris, two words continued to crop up on social media: coconut tree.

As the pressure mounted against Biden, attention focused on Harris and her many viral moments, often punctuated by her own laughter. But one moment in Harris’ career as vice president of the United States stood out above all others.

At a May 2023 White House event for the President’s Advisory Commission on Advancing Equity, Excellence, and Economic Opportunity in Education for Hispanics, the vice president explained that equality also requires equity, that culture, environment, and context are as important to opportunity as financial resources.

“None of us live in a vacuum. Everything is in context,” she said. “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 just fell off a coconut tree?’”

As she stifled her laughter, she concluded, “You exist in the context of everything you live in and what came before you.”

The term “coconut tree” remained relatively private until calls for Biden’s resignation reached fever pitch last week, according to Google Trends data.

Ironic or not, the image of a coconut tree became a rallying cry and fully entered the mainstream on Sunday, when “coconut pill” Democrats began rallying behind Harris.

Colorado Gov. Jared Polis endorsed Harris, signing her statement with emojis of a coconut, a tree and an American flag.

EMILYs LIST, the PAC focused on electing Democratic female candidates, also endorsed her — and added coconut and tree emojis to the group’s username on X.

Brian Schatz, a U.S. senator from Hawaii, posted a photo of himself climbing a coconut tree with the caption, “Madam Vice President, we are ready to help you.”

Some social media users were happy to provide context to Harris’ comments, but warned people to be careful about their use of the tropical fruit, as “coconut” has been used in the past as an offensive term for people from black and Asian communities.

At a pro-Palestinian rally in London last year, a British Muslim woman was photographed holding a poster depicting then-Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Home Secretary Suella Braverman, both of Indian origin, as coconuts. Police searched for her and charged her earlier this year with racially aggravated public disorder.

But for now, the campaign is also leaning toward memes. Shortly after the Biden campaign’s X quick-reply account became a Harris campaign account, its bio was changed to simply “Provide context.”

Like Harris, many in the Democratic Party and on social media have a newfound enthusiasm for the election and are now imagining what might happen, freed from the burden of what happened before November 5.