JSFiddle - React, Tailwind, and code Playground

HTML

<ul>
      <li class="highlight">vvvvv</li>
      <li class="highlight">vvvvv</li>
      <li class="highlight">vvvvv</li>
      <li class="highlight">vvvvv</li>
      <li class="highlight">vvvvv</li>
      <li class="highlight">vvvvv</li>
      <li class="highlight">vvvvv</li>
      <li class="highlight">vvvvv</li>
      <li class="highlight">vvvvv</li>
      <li class="highlight">vvvvv</li>
      <li class="highlight">vvvvv</li>
      <li class="highlight">vvvvv</li>
      <li class="highlight">vvvvv</li>
      <li class="highlight">vvvvv</li>
      <li class="highlight">vvvvv</li>
      <li class="highlight">vvvvv</li>
      <li class="highlight">vvvvv</li>
      <li class="highlight">vvvvv</li>
      <li class="highlight">vvvvv</li>
      <li class="highlight">vvvvv</li>
      <li class="highlight">vvvvv</li>
      <li class="highlight">vvvvv</li>
</ul>

CSS

.a {
         background-color: red;
      }

JavaScript

$(function() {
          $('.highlight').each(function() {
              var e = $(this);
              $(document).delay(1000).queue(function(next) {
                  e.addClass('a');
                  next();
              });
          });
      });