about wear orange
Wear Orange is dedicated to honoring the lives of people in the United States affected by gun violence and elevating the voices of advocates across the country who are demanding an end to gun violence by taking action.
Wear Orange originated on June 2, 2015—what would have been Hadiya Pendleton’s 18th birthday. Today, Wear Orange honors Hadiya and the 125 people shot and killed every day in the United States, along with the hundreds more who are wounded and the countless others whose lives have been changed by gun violence.
why do we wear orange?
Wear Orange and National Gun Violence Awareness Day were inspired by Project Orange Tree, an awareness campaign to commemorate the life of Hadiya Pendleton and other victims of gun violence.
On January 21, 2013, Hadiya 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.
The color orange has a long and proud history in the gun violence prevention movement. Whether worn by Hadiya’s loved ones in Chicago, by hunters in the woods of Montana, or by activists like Erica Ford in New York—who spearheaded “orange as the color of peace”—orange honors the countless lives touched by gun violence every day in the United States.
Every year, #WearOrange expands, as community partners and gun safety advocates hold events and honor survivors with everything from community beautification projects to food drives, community gatherings, and more. This year, advocates will once again participate in every state and D.C.
