Wear Orange 2016 Campaign Launches Ahead of Second National Gun Violence Awareness Day on June 2

“Wear Orange” Inspired by Chicago Teens Who Refused to Be Silent in the Face of Daily Gun Violence; Nearly 70 Partners Already Signed On to #WearOrange

“Voices of Orange” Youth Talent Competition Includes Celebrity Judges Andra Day, Andrew Bird, and Malik Yusef; VoicesOfOrange.org

CHICAGO – Catapulting off the success of the first-ever National Gun Violence Awareness Day last June, the 2016 Wear Orange campaign (www.WearOrange.org) today launched and began unveiling plans for the second National Gun Violence Awareness Day on June 2, 2016.

Wear Orange was inspired by friends of Hadiya Pendleton, a 15-year-old Chicago high school student killed by gunfire, who decided to honor her life by wearing orange – the color hunters wear in the woods to protect themselves and others. On June 2, 2015, what would have been Hadiya’s 18th birthday, more than 200 organizations and influencers asked people nationwide to join them by wearing orange to honor her life, the lives of the more than 90 Americans killed by gun violence and the hundreds more who are injured every day. President Obama, Julianne Moore, Russell Simmons, Sarah Silverman, the New York Mets, MTV, Cosmopolitan, Motown Records, Michael J. Fox, Questlove and Katie Couric are just a few of those who answered the call last year, helping the #WearOrange message reach more than 220 million people in a single day. This year, initial plans include:

• Orange Art: Through a partnership with the Creative Action Network, the campaign has created an online gallery where anyone can submit designs that reflect their interpretation of Wear Orange. Every accepted work will be made available for sale and can be printed on demand (as a tee, mug, print, etc.). Later this spring, supporters will vote on the designs and the top choice will become the official Wear Orange 2016 fan tee.
  
• Orange Partners: Last year, the Wear Orange campaign launched with a dozen partners. To kick off year two, a total of 69 partners are already on board – a wide array of organizations working to reduce gun violence every day, including groups working on suicide prevention, domestic violence, political advocacy, community-led interventions, human rights and many more. More partners and supporters will be announced in the weeks ahead; a full list of current partners can be found here.
  
• Voices of Orange Competition: Wear Orange is partnering with Street-Level Youth Media to sponsor the first-ever “Voices of Orange” talent competition. Wear Orange was created by Chicago teens who were determined to make themselves heard. Now, the Wear Orange coalition is offering Chicago youth ages 15 to 22 another opportunity to lift their voices and take the stage with rap, song or spoken-word poetry. Entries will be accepted through April 4, 2016. Special consideration will be given to submissions about peace, nonviolence or reducing gun violence. The winner will receive $3,000 and have his or her work heard by “Voices of Orange” celebrity judges Andra Day, Malik Yusef and Andrew Bird. The winner will get the opportunity to perform for the crowd, which will include record label executives, at Chicago’s Party for Peace on National Gun Violence Awareness Day on June 2, 2016. More information about the competition and entry requirements is available at VoicesOfOrange.org.
  
• Chicago’s Party for Peace: Last June’s Party for Peace was the national marquee celebration of Wear Orange. This year’s celebration will focus on youth empowerment and serve as an ongoing reminder of the roots of the campaign. The party will include several musical performances, including the Voices of Orange competition winner.

“Wear Orange came from young people in Chicago who raised their voices to honor their friend – and to call for an end to gun violence,” said vocalist and Voices of Orange celebrity judge, Andra Day. “It’s an honor to join my fellow artists Andrew Bird and Malik Yusef as judges for the Voices of Orange contest, which will give even more Chicago youth the opportunity to be heard.”

In addition to the Chicago-based Party for Peace, there will be opportunities all over the country for Americans to get involved and Wear Orange including at Orange Meet-Ups. These events will showcase the full creativity of Orange supporters, ranging from concerts and rallies at iconic places across the country, to film screenings focused on gun violence prevention, to several friends gathering to share a picture on social media using the #WearOrange hashtag. Events will be searchable via an online map.

Last year, key buildings and landmarks in cities across the country from Providence, Rhode Island to Mobile, Alabama, turned orange on June 2nd. This year, people who want to help turn their city’s skylines orange can visit: www.wearorange.org/skyline to find out more information on how to bring the Wear Orange message to their communities in this unique way.

“I never dreamed something my friends and I came up with would inspire and empower so many people all over the country to get involved in the conversation about ending gun violence,” said Nza-Ari Khepra, founder of Project Orange Tree and co-creator of Wear Orange. “I am excited to see the movement continue to grow and to see what June 2, 2016 has in store. If there is one thing I have learned this year, it’s that people are ready – we are ready to end gun violence.”

In the months since the launch of Wear Orange and the first-ever National Gun Violence Awareness Day on June 2, 2015, the effort has reached millions of Americans. On December 14, 2015, as part of the commemoration of the three-year mark since the Sandy Hook shooting and in response to the San Bernardino shooting, Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America, a part of Everytown for Gun Safety, hosted “Orange Walks” to help amplify the gun safety movement. The Orange Walks, which took place in over 100 cities nationwide, were the biggest offline event in the organization to date. Additionally, orange carpets replaced the traditional red carpet at Spike Lee’s New York City premiere of Chi-Raq and at the Sundance Film Festival’s debut of Katie Couric’s documentary Under the Gun.

WEAR ORANGE 2016 CAMPAIGN LAUNCHES AHEAD OF SECOND NATIONAL GUN VIOLENCE AWARENESS DAY ON JUNE 2

“Wear Orange” Inspired by Chicago Teens Who Refused to Be Silent in the Face of Daily Gun Violence; Nearly 70 Partners Already Signed On to #WearOrange

“Voices of Orange” Youth Talent Competition Includes Celebrity Judges Andra Day, Andrew Bird, and Malik Yusef; VoicesOfOrange.org

CHICAGO – Catapulting off the success of the first-ever National Gun Violence Awareness Day last June, the 2016 Wear Orange campaign (www.WearOrange.org) today launched and began unveiling plans for the second National Gun Violence Awareness Day on June 2, 2016.

Wear Orange was inspired by friends of Hadiya Pendleton, a 15-year-old Chicago high school student killed by gunfire, who decided to honor her life by wearing orange – the color hunters wear in the woods to protect themselves and others. On June 2, 2015, what would have been Hadiya’s 18th birthday, more than 200 organizations and influencers asked people nationwide to join them by wearing orange to honor her life, the lives of the more than 90 Americans killed by gun violence and the hundreds more who are injured every day. President Obama, Julianne Moore, Russell Simmons, Sarah Silverman, the New York Mets, MTV, Cosmopolitan, Motown Records, Michael J. Fox, Questlove and Katie Couric are just a few of those who answered the call last year, helping the #WearOrange message reach more than 220 million people in a single day. This year, initial plans include:

Orange Art: Through a partnership with the Creative Action Network, the campaign has created an online gallery where anyone can submit designs that reflect their interpretation of Wear Orange. Every accepted work will be made available for sale and can be printed on demand (as a tee, mug, print, etc.). Later this spring, supporters will vote on the designs and the top choice will become the official Wear Orange 2016 fan tee.

Orange Partners: Last year, the Wear Orange campaign launched with a dozen partners. To kick off year two, a total of 69 partners are already on board – a wide array of organizations working to reduce gun violence every day, including groups working on suicide prevention, domestic violence, political advocacy, community-led interventions, human rights and many more. More partners and supporters will be announced in the weeks ahead; a full list of current partners can be found here.

Voices of Orange Competition: Wear Orange is partnering with Street-Level Youth Media to sponsor the first-ever “Voices of Orange” talent competition. Wear Orange was created by Chicago teens who were determined to make themselves heard. Now, the Wear Orange coalition is offering Chicago youth ages 15 to 22 another opportunity to lift their voices and take the stage with rap, song or spoken-word poetry. Entries will be accepted through April 4, 2016. Special consideration will be given to submissions about peace, nonviolence or reducing gun violence. The winner will receive $3,000 and have his or her work heard by “Voices of Orange” celebrity judges Andra Day, Malik Yusef and Andrew Bird. The winner will get the opportunity to perform for the crowd, which will include record label executives, at Chicago’s Party for Peace on National Gun Violence Awareness Day on June 2, 2016. More information about the competition and entry requirements is available at VoicesOfOrange.org.

Chicago’s Party for Peace: Last June’s Party for Peace was the national marquee celebration of Wear Orange. This year’s celebration will focus on youth empowerment and serve as an ongoing reminder of the roots of the campaign. The party will include several musical performances, including the Voices of Orange competition winner.

“Wear Orange came from young people in Chicago who raised their voices to honor their friend – and to call for an end to gun violence,” said vocalist and Voices of Orange celebrity judge, Andra Day. “It’s an honor to join my fellow artists Andrew Bird and Malik Yusef as judges for the Voices of Orange contest, which will give even more Chicago youth the opportunity to be heard.”

In addition to the Chicago-based Party for Peace, there will be opportunities all over the country for Americans to get involved and Wear Orange including at Orange Meet-Ups. These events will showcase the full creativity of Orange supporters, ranging from concerts and rallies at iconic places across the country, to film screenings focused on gun violence prevention, to several friends gathering to share a picture on social media using the #WearOrange hashtag. Events will be searchable via an online map.

Last year, key buildings and landmarks in cities across the country from Providence, Rhode Island to Mobile, Alabama, turned orange on June 2nd. This year, people who want to help turn their city’s skylines orange can visit: www.wearorange.org/skyline to find out more information on how to bring the Wear Orange message to their communities in this unique way.

“I never dreamed something my friends and I came up with would inspire and empower so many people all over the country to get involved in the conversation about ending gun violence,” said Nza-Ari Khepra, founder of Project Orange Tree and co-creator of Wear Orange. “I am excited to see the movement continue to grow and to see what June 2, 2016 has in store. If there is one thing I have learned this year, it’s that people are ready – we are ready to end gun violence.”

In the months since the launch of Wear Orange and the first-ever National Gun Violence Awareness Day on June 2, 2015, the effort has reached millions of Americans. On December 14, 2015, as part of the commemoration of the three-year mark since the Sandy Hook shooting and in response to the San Bernardino shooting, Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America, a part of Everytown for Gun Safety, hosted “Orange Walks” to help amplify the gun safety movement. The Orange Walks, which took place in over 100 cities nationwide, were the biggest offline event in the organization to date. Additionally, orange carpets replaced the traditional red carpet at Spike Lee’s New York City premiere of Chi-Raq and at the Sundance Film Festival’s debut of Katie Couric’s documentary Under the Gun.

“What started as a ripple of hope at a high school on the South Side of Chicago has quickly grown into a national movement,” said Jason Rzepka, director of cultural engagement at Everytown for Gun Safety, a Wear Orange partner organization. “The early success of Wear Orange is a testament to the brilliance of the young people who started it, but also a very public demonstration of the millions of Americans who believe there’s more we all can do to save lives from gun violence. As the campaign multiplies in its second year, many more people will have the opportunity to get involved with the scores of Wear Orange partners who do the hard work of saving lives every day.”