Pasadena Declares June 5 ‘National Gun Violence Awareness Day’
At their June 1 meeting, Pasadena City Council issued a proclamation declaring Friday, June 5, 2020 “National Gun Violence Awareness Day” in Pasadena to honor and remember all of the victims and survivors of gun violence and support efforts to prevent gun violence. The public is encouraged to watch the meeting online or on KPAS TV.
The proclamation will be received by San GabrielValley Moms Demand Action, a local grassroots organization working toreduce gun violence. The proclamation reads that gun violence “touchesevery segment of our society and impacts people of all ages; it increases theprobability of death in incidents of domestic violence; raises the likelihoodof fatalities by those who intend to injure others, and among those who attemptsuicide; it places children and young people at increased risk of physical harmand injury; and disproportionately affects communities of color.” Theproclamation concludes by urging all citizens, businesses, and organizations towork collaboratively to reduce gun violence.
Wear Orange Weekend, June 5-7
National Gun Violence Awareness Day kicks off Wear Orange Weekend, an event held annually in honor of Hadiya Pendleton, a 15-year-old who was shot and killed in Chicago in 2013, just one week after performing at President Obama’s second inaugural parade. Orange is the color that Hadiya’s friends wore in her honor and is worn throughout the nation to raise awareness about gun violence.
The City of Pasadena encourages communitymembers to wear orange June 5-7 in support of the gun violence preventionmovement and to share photos on social media usingthe hashtag #WearOrange.
Many local groups are working together to encourage and support efforts to prevent gun violence and save lives, including San Gabriel Valley Moms Demand Action, Students Demand Action, Mothers of Murdered Children, and the All Saints Committee to End Gun Violence.