why orange?

On January 21, 2013, Hadiya Pendleton marched in President Obama’s second inaugural parade. One week later, Hadiya was shot and killed on a playground in Chicago. Soon after this tragedy, Hadiya’s friends commemorated her life by wearing orange, the color hunters wear in the woods to protect themselves and others. Wear Orange is now observed every June. Thousands of people wear the color orange to honor Hadiya and the more than 43,000 Americans are killed with guns and approximately 76,000 more are shot and wounded every year.

This year, we once again unite in our call to end gun violence as we come together for Wear Orange. We honor the communities shattered by gun violence alongside the 120 people who are shot and killed, and hundreds more who are wounded, every day in our country. Together, we call for meaningful action to save lives.

We should not have to live in fear that gunfire can ring out at any moment, whether it’s at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas, while grocery shopping at a supermarket in Buffalo, New York, a party in San Bernardino, or graduations across the country. We deserve more. Raise awareness by participating in Wear Orange online and in your community.