Everything You Need to Know About 'Wear Orange Weekend' Share

Everytown for Gun Safety, a key organization that stands for ending gun violence, states that 96 Americans are killed every day by gun violence. Everytown works “to pass common-sense laws and policies that save lives” through researching issues surrounding gun violence, developing solutions and speaking with lawmakers. Kim Kardashian has partnered with them during past Wear Orange Weekends and blogged about her stance in 2017, citing her Paris robbery as her call to action.

National Gun Violence Awareness Day is Friday (June 1) and kicks off Wear Orange Weekend, the nationwide campaign started by Everytown, which was created “to do life-saving work so that we can get closer to realizing a future free of gun violence” according to the official website. The yearly event includes rallies, marches, barbecues and more events dedicated to the campaign.

The color orange has been utilized to imply more than a sign of protection for hunters, but a sign of peace, as indicated by Erica Ford, a New York gun violence prevention advocate. She spearheaded the new connotation in her LIFE Camp, Inc. (Love Ignites Freedom Through Education) organization, which brings young people and their families “positive alternatives to violence, bullying and other forms of anti-social behavior” as written on the official website. 

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Governors Ball to Support 'Wear Orange' Campaign for National Gun Violence Awareness Week

The Wear Orange Weekend page also connotes orange as a sign “to be seen, now demand that we will be heard.” Jordana Baldwin, Everytown’s deputy director, said in an interview with The Zoe Report that amalgamating the entertainment world with this prominent nationwide issue will garner attention. “When we engage with all aspects of culture -- be that the music industry, the entertainment industry, the fashion industry -- it can be incredibly meaningful to people and incredibly powerful.”

New York's Governors Ball music festival coincides with Wear Orange Weekend this year, and musicians will show their dedication to the cause by wearing orange during their performances, showcasing videos addressing gun-violence prevention and donating money to Everytown’s mission.