Turning America Orange for Gun Violence Awareness
In 1989, the year before I entered kindergarten, 5 children were killed and 32 more were wounded during the Cleveland Elementary School shooting in my hometown of Stockton. In high school, there were multiple times when shots were fired at parties — luckily no one was injured. In college, my uncle, suffering from depression, died by suicide with a firearm. While no exposure to gun violence feels light, mine is minimal in a country were 96 people a day are likely to be killed by guns and where communities of color are disproportionately affected.
Wear Orange and Everytown for Gun Safety are bringing awareness and action to the issues.
Hadiya Pendleton was 15 years old when she was shot and killed, just a week after performing at President Obama’s 2nd inaugural parade in 2013. After her death, her friends wore orange in her honor and invited others to join them in standing up to bring attention to the issue of gun violence, especially for those who encounter it in everyday life. Since then, Everytown for Gun Safety and Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America has worked tirelessly every year to mobilize thousands of people across the country to Wear Orange in celebration of National Gun Violence Awareness Day.
Everytown was a very early adopter of the Hustle platform, and has leveraged it in just about every iteration to organize for action and policy changes. This past weekend, more than 24,000 people attended events during Wear Orange Weekend. These events ranged from rallies and vigils to scavenger hunts and community picnics.
Thank you so much to Everytown and all the volunteers with Moms Demand Action for the work you’re doing for gun sense in America. We’re honored to support you.
Learn more about Wear Orange and the year-around work of Everytown for Gun Safety.
