The following is a press release from the North Carolina Association of Educators
In honor of National Gun Violence Awareness Day, the North Carolina Association of Educators (NCAE) stands in solidarity with Everytown for Gun Safety and gun violence reduction advocates all around the country in wearing orange to honor the more than 100 lives cut short, and the hundreds more wounded by gun violence, every day in the United States.
“We need meaningful action to keep our schools safe — action that addresses what we know about gun violence in America’s schools and prevents it from occurring in the first place,” said NCAE President Mark Jewell. “It’s time for our leaders to adopt a multi-faceted approach that provides the school community with the tools it needs to intervene and prevent school-based gun violence.”
Orange is the color that Hadiya Pendleton’s friends wore in her honor when she was shot and killed in Chicago at the age of 15 — just one week after performing at President Obama’s second inaugural parade in 2013. After her death, her friends asked everyone to stand up, speak out, and wear orange to raise awareness about gun violence. Since then, orange has been the defining color of the gun violence prevention movement.
Earlier this year, the National Education Association joined Everytown for Gun Safety Support Fund and the American Federation of Teachers to release a report, available here, that includes new data detailing gun violence in American schools, and provides clear guidance for lawmakers to support policies that have proven to be effective at preventing gun violence and supporting safe and healthy learning environments.
NCAE is the state’s largest education advocacy organization for public school employees, and represents active, retired, and student members.
