National Gun Violence Awareness Day

National Gun Violence Awareness Day takes place on June 3rd, and with it the Wear Orange campaign, aims to raise recognition for the movement sparked by the 2013 death of a teenager abused by members of the public. A gang member mistakenly shot in a Chicago park.

History of National Gun Violence Awareness Day

In order to commemorate survivors and victims of gun violence, National Gun Violence Awareness Day has celebrated on the first Friday of June every year.

 Not long after 15-year-old Hadiya Pendleton was fatally shot on a playground in Chicago, on January 29, 2013, her childhood friends began wearing orange as a tribute and memorial her life.

Color is what hunters wear in the forest to protect themselves and others.

Nza-Ari Khepra, a founding member and president of Project Orange Tree, an organization founded by friends of Pendleton, told CNN in 2015 said that “After we lost Hadiya, there was a lot of emotion going on.”

Members of the local community held candlelit vigils and food loaves, and wore orange.

Mr Khepra said the color orange was chosen to signal that the wearer does not want to be the next victim of gun violence, and to symbolize the value of human life.

What began as a small movement at a high school in Chicago quickly grew to become a nationwide campaign led by Everytown for Gun Safety, a non-profit advocating gun control, to prevent violence. gun force in the United States.

The campaign was organized by Amnesty International, a human rights group focused on international NGOs, and later organizations including Americans for Responsible Solutions, Operation Brady Prevent Stop Gun Violence and the Caliber Foundation.

There are a lot of participants with thousands of people wearing orange in order to honor Hadiya. It is statistic that there are more than killed 40,000 people by gunfire and around 85,000 are shot and injured per year. Wear Orange events are organized aiming to remember the death because of gun violence and raise public awareness about this public health crisis.

The campaign notes that every day, more than 110 Americans are killed by firearms and more than 200 are shot and wounded. However, these survivors have to face a lifelong process of physical and emotional healing. Mayor Flora has declared June 3, 2022 as National Gun Violence Awareness Day. The event is held annually in honor of Hadiya Pendleton, a 15-year-old man shot to death in Chicago in 2013. Orange is the color that Hadiya's friends wear in her honor and is worn across the country to raise awareness. gun violence awareness.  Anyone can join this campaign by pledging to wear orange on the first Friday of June to help raise awareness about gun violence and celebrate the lives of victims and survivors of gun violence.

Celebrating National Gun Violence Awareness Day

Here are 5 ways you can join the movement calling for an end to gun violence including domestic violence, suicide and crime-related gun violence.

1. Wear orange

An easy way to get in is to break out those orange t-shirts, flags, and clothes. Orange is the color that hunters wear in the forest to protect themselves/others. It has been adopted by individuals and organizations to be recognized by those working to prevent and end gun violence.

Are you sporty orange? Share photos of you or others on social media and use the official hashtags for all platforms: #WearOrange. Using this hashtag helps make a great statement about concerns about gun violence by bringing people's posts together.

2. Contact your elected officials

Gun violence attacks near home. You should share or notify with elected officials immediately by sending them a message. Do you have an opinion you would like to hear? Now is your chance to do.

• Use Everytown for Gun Safety's easy-to-use form to send a message to all state's senators
• Reach your legislators by calling to the Legislative Hotline.
• Send a letter to our state leader.

3. Take the survey

Racine County Eye wants to hear from you. Take our community feedback survey as a way to voice your opinion about the recent gun violence that has occurred in our community.

4. Attend an event

Find an event near you to attend. Help end gun violence by attending a rally, drive-in event, or other gathering. Participate in the movement near your location.

5. Learn and educate about gun violence

Educate yourself about the recent events that have taken place around gun violence. Learn more about this issue.

• Read about issues affecting Americans.
• Be part of the solution, understand what solutions look like.