Millions of Americans are coming together to fight for an end to gun violence in America. If you believe there’s more we can do to help save American lives from gun violence, you are Orange.
The color orange symbolizes the value of human life. Hunters wear orange in the woods to protect themselves and others. In 2013, teens on the South Side of Chicago asked classmates to honor their murdered friend by wearing orange. That simple call to action has grown into a national movement – and orange is becoming the symbol of gun safety. Join us and #WearOrange on June 2 for National Gun Violence Awareness Day!
Create your own #WearOrange image, and share it on Facebook or Twitter to show everyone why you’re committed to ending gun violence in America.
Last December, in the wake of the mass shooting in San Bernardino and heightened attention on the need for our nation’s leaders to act to end gun violence, the California chapter of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America, part of Everytown for Gun Safety, joined together in Los Angeles for an Orange Walk to #EndGunViolence to commemorate the third anniversary of the Sandy Hook tragedy and to honor all survivors and victims of gun violence. During the walks, participants shared photos and posts on social media using the hashtag #EndGunViolence.
Orange is a color that has been embraced by the gun violence prevention movement as a symbol of the value of human life and our shared commitment to do everything we can to reduce gun violence in our country. Orange Walks serve as a reminder that the best way to honor gun violence victims is to keep moving forward, keep making progress and to never give up.
Orange Walks are events at which moms, dads, survivors, mayors, faith leaders and other community members gather together to demonstrate our shared commitment to reducing gun violence. The walks represent the significant strides that the gun violence prevention movement has achieved, while also acknowledging the work that has yet to be done. As we walk together, we prove to the gun lobby and to elected officials that we will be loud, we will be visible and we will never stop fighting to keep our families, our communities and our country safe.
The idea of “Orange” was inspired by Nza-Ari Khepra, who, as a high school student in Chicago, encouraged her friends to wear orange in honor of classmate Hadiya Pendleton who was shot and killed just one week after performing in President Obama’s second inauguration. The color has significance for hunters who wear orange to warn other hunters not to shoot. This past June, a coalition of gun violence prevention advocates launched the Wear Orange campaign to mark the first annual National Gun Violence Awareness Day.
Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America is a grassroots movement of American mothers fighting for public safety measures that respect the Second Amendment and protect people from gun violence. Moms Demand Action campaigns for new and stronger solutions to lax gun laws and loopholes that jeopardize the safety of our children and families. Since its inception after the tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School, Moms Demand Action has established a chapter in every state of the country and, along with Mayors Against Illegal Guns and the Everytown Survivor Network, it is part of Everytown for Gun Safety, the largest gun violence prevention organization in the country with more than three million members and more than 75,000 donors. For more information or to get involved visit www.momsdemandaction.org. Follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/
The Everytown Survivor Network brings together Americans who have been personally affected by gun violence to work together to fight for solutions to prevent the gun violence that kills 88 Americans and injures hundreds more every day. The Survivor Network connects people who have been shot and loved ones of those who have been shot or killed to build community and empower survivors to become advocates and leaders in the gun violence prevention movement. The Survivor Network, along with Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America and Mayors Against Illegal Guns, is part of Everytown for Gun Safety, the largest gun violence prevention organization in the country with more than three million members and more than 75,000 donors. To learn more about Everytown’s work with survivors or to join the Survivor Network, please visit www.everytown.org/survivors.
