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Standing for Gun Violence Awareness on June 2

May 31, 2015

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

New York City, NY – On May 28, 2015, more than 25 cultural influencers and 60 United States mayors joined the coalition of best-in-class organizations and activists pledging to “Wear Orange” — a color that symbolizes the value of human life — on June 2, the first annual National Gun Violence Awareness Day.

Wear Orange is a new campaign that amplifies existing efforts to reduce gun violence in America and helps honor the 88 Americans whose lives are cut short by gun violence every day. In the past two weeks, more than 140 groups and luminaries have joined the campaign, including MTV, Motown Records, HBO, Vans Warped Tour, Essence Magazine, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the Brady Campaign, and Million Mom March.

Efforts of note on June 2 include:

  • MTV: The network will change its on-air logo — as well as several of its social media avatars — to orange in recognition of National Gun Violence Awareness Day.
  • Motown Records: The most widely recognized record label in history, Motown will turn its iconic logo orange on its social media platforms (@Motown on Twitter, @MotownRecords on Instagram) with staff and artists #WearingOrange.
  • HBO: The network will debut the trailer for its hard-hitting new documentary, Requiem for the Dead: American Spring 2014, from Emmy Award-winning filmmakers Shari Cookson and Nick Doob, which premieres on HBO June 22 at 9:00 PM EST/PST. Told entirely through social media postings, news accounts, and other found media, the new documentary offers an unvarnished portrait of the human toll from gun violence in America — giving viewers a window into the lives of dozens who died from gunfire last spring through the present-tense moments leading up to the shootings and the reverberations that followed.
  • Essence Magazine: Essence staff will be #WearingOrange, sharing their orange selfies on Instagram and Twitter, and encouraging their readers to join in the Wear Orange campaign.

“We’re often presented with a false choice in the guns debate: that you have to pick a side,” said Michael Stipe. “But every American opposes gun violence, and all of us can do more to help save lives. I’ll wear my orange with pride on June 2 and hope people nationwide will join me in showing their true colors.”

“Motown Records has a legacy of being the voice of a generation through our artists and fostering an environment of creativity and innovation. In these times, more than ever, it is crucial for all of our voices to collectively come together on June 2 for the first-ever National Gun Violence Awareness Day to raise awareness and promote anti-violence so that the voices of today, and tomorrow, have a chance to be heard,” said Ethiopia Habtemariam, President, Motown Records. “We encourage fans and artists alike to join us on June 2 by #WearingOrange and honoring the life of Hadiya Pendleton and all those lives senselessly lost to gun violence.”

Elected officials committed to protecting their constituents from gun violence will also be wearing orange on June 2. Members of Congress from coast to coast, as well as mayors in more than 60 cities from 20 states representing more than 10 million Americans around the country, have joined the campaign.

Newly added supporters of the Wear Orange coalition include the American Academy of Pediatrics, the Brady Campaign, the Caliber Foundation, CT Coalition Against Gun Violence, Greenwich Council Against Gun Violence, Media Matters, Million Mom March, MomsRising, National Council of Jewish Women, New Mexicans for Gun Safety, North Carolina Coalition Against Gun Violence, Ohio Coalition Against Gun Violence, and Parents Against Gun Violence.

Wear Orange and National Gun Violence Awareness Day was inspired by a group of Chicago teens who asked their classmates to commemorate the life of their slain friend, Hadiya Pendleton, by wearing the color orange. Hadiya was claimed by gun violence just days after marching in President Obama’s second inaugural parade. Her friends chose the color because hunters wear orange to announce themselves to other hunters when out in the woods. This June 2 would have been Hadiya’s 18th birthday; First Lady Michelle Obama will deliver the commencement address at what would have been Hadiya’s graduation ceremony on June 9.

Additionally, the Wear Orange campaign released a new video telling the story of Hadiya’s tragic death, how her friends and family refused to let her die in vain, and how what they started on the south side of Chicago is becoming a national movement. You can view the video at WearOrange.org/#Play.

Anyone can join the Wear Orange campaign by visiting WearOrange.org and using the website’s pledge tool to change their social media profile picture or share why they’ll be #WearingOrange on June 2, the first-ever National Gun Violence Awareness Day.