June 5th we Celebrate National Gun Violence Awareness Day!  

Even in a pandemic, we are reminded of the devastating toll gun violence takes on communities, and the ways that racism places black people and people of color at an increased risk of gun violence, including police violence. In honor of Hadiya Pendleton and all survivors of gun violence, we come together to take a stand against the deadly mix of racism and gun violence in this country.  

Orange is the color that Hadiya Pendleton’s friends wore in her honor when she was shot and killed in Chicago at the age of 15 — just one week after performing at President Obama’s 2nd inaugural parade in 2013. After her death, they asked us to stand up, speak out, and Wear Orange to raise awareness about gun violence.  

Since then orange has been the defining color of the gun violence prevention movement. New York gun violence prevention advocate Erica Ford spearheaded orange as the color of peace through her work with her organization, Life Camp, Inc. Whether it’s worn by students in Montana, activists in New York, or Hadiya’s loved ones in Chicago, the color orange honors the more than 100 lives cut short and the hundreds more wounded by gun violence everyday.   

This movement gains momentum when gun sense activists come together to fight for a future free from gun violence. Wear Orange Weekend is an opportunity for us to show the country just how powerful we are.  

https://wearorange.org/