National Gun Violence Awareness Month — History & Why We Wear Orange🧡
June is National Gun Violence Awareness Month, a nationwide movement rooted in community action, youth leadership, and the urgent need to save lives.
The history begins in 2013, when 15 year old Hadiya Pendleton was tragically shot and killed on a Chicago playground — just one week after performing in President Obama’s second inaugural parade. In response, her friends and classmates chose to wear orange to honor her life. They selected orange because it’s the color hunters wear to protect themselves and signal “don’t shoot.”
What started as a local act of remembrance quickly grew into a national call for awareness.
Key Milestones
2013 — The Origin Hadiya’s friends begin wearing orange to draw attention to the loss of young lives to gun violence, sparking a grassroots movement.
2015 — First National Observation On what would have been Hadiya’s 18th birthday (June 2, 2015), a coalition of public health, education, and advocacy organizations launched the first official National Gun Violence Awareness Day.
Expansion to a Full Month The movement continued to grow, and June is now widely recognized as National Gun Violence Awareness Month. Cities, lawmakers, and organizations across the country — including Everytown for Gun Safety and Brady United — issue proclamations each year to honor survivors, remember those lost, and advance community driven solutions.
This month, we stand with families, survivors, and communities working every day to build a safer, stronger future.
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#GunViolenceAwarenessMonth #WearOrange #WeAreONSE #CommunityHealing
ALT Image Flyer says:
Gun Violence Awareness Month
History Of Why We Wear Orange
2013 - THE ORIGIN
2015 - FIRST NATIONAL OBSERVATION
For more information: onse.dc.gov
#WEAREONSE
ONSE - Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement