Milwaukee Violence Prevention Leaders Encourage Participation in Wear Orange Weekend
MILWAUKEE – Mayor Cavalier Johnson issued a proclamation declaring June 3, 2022 as National Gun Violence Awareness Day in the city of Milwaukee. National Gun Violence Awareness Day kicks off Wear Orange Weekend, which runs June 3 – 5, 2022. This weekend is dedicated to honoring the lives of those affected by gun violence and elevating the voices of those demanding an end to gun violence.
“We all know, too well, the human toll gun violence continues to take on our communities,” Mayor Johnson said. “Orange is an appropriate symbol to call attention to gun violence. So, in the spirit of Wear Orange Weekend, let’s work to make changes that add protections for our city, for our neighbors, and for our children.”
“Wear Orange” began in 2015 to commemorate the life of Hadiya Pendleton, who was tragically shot and killed in Chicago one week after marching in President Obama’s inaugural parade. Hadiya’s friends chose to wear orange, the color hunters wear to protect themselves from being shot. Since then, orange has become the defining color of the gun violence prevention movement.
“We wear orange this weekend to demand a future free from gun violence,” said Jennifer Hoffman-Jonas, Group Lead for Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America North Shore Milwaukee. “Orange symbolizes the value of each person’s life, and we wear it to honor those killed and wounded by gun violence and to call for an end to this crisis.”
According to the Milwaukee Homicide Review Commission, more than 90% of lives lost to homicide in the last two years in Milwaukee involved a firearm. The epidemic of gun violence in Milwaukee and across the country is a preventable public health issue in need of a collaborative solution.
“We encourage everyone to wear orange this weekend to show solidarity against gun violence,” said Arnitta Holliman, Director of the Milwaukee Office of Violence Prevention. “But preventing gun violence is more than wearing orange and requires more commitment than one weekend. We encourage everyone who wants to be part of the solution to step up, show up, and speak out in your community to keep your neighbors and loved ones safe.”
The Office of Violence Prevention (OVP) and 414 Life are working to coordinate an initiative spanning 12 weeks this summer to get more individuals into neighborhoods to saturate the community with positivity. Individuals interested in participating should contact OVP at ovp@milwaukee.gov or by calling (414) 286-5468.
Additionally, Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America and OVP are hosting a Drive-Thru Memorial on Saturday, June 4 and Sunday, June 5 on Sherman Boulevard from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Community members are encouraged to wear orange and join these violence prevention groups as they hand out free gun locks and honor Milwaukee residents who have been killed by gun violence.
NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. It has not been verified for its accuracy or completeness.
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