John, we are here to renew our commitment to ending gun violence in honor of our daughter Hadiya. We are also here to work and seek justice during this unprecedented time for countless other Black Americans whose names are heard and unheard in the headlines.

Seven years ago — and less than a week after performing at President Obama's second inauguration — our 15-year-old daughter Hadiya was shot and killed. Her death left us — and her friends — devastated. We are devastated anew as we fight yet again to end the centuries-old systems of white supremacy that define our country and lead to the countless ways Black people in the United States are disproportionately impacted by violence.

When Hadiya's friends launched Project Orange Tree to honor her life and raise awareness about gun violence in their community, they asked all of us to wear orange to honor Hadiya and the hundreds of people in the United States killed and wounded by gun violence every day. National Gun Violence Awareness Day is Friday June 5th, which honors Hadiya's birthday on June 2nd. We will host activities in observation throughout the entire weekend — Wear Orange Weekend — when we honor all victims and survivors of gun violence. This year, we will make it clear not only that America's gun violence crisis needs to end, but also that we must all come together and fight against the deadly mix of guns, white supremacy, and racism that persists in our country.

Join us by wearing orange today and all weekend long.

On Tuesday, June 2nd, our daughter Hadiya would have turned 23 years old. We've dedicated our lives to the fight against gun violence by founding Hadiya's Promise, a gun violence reduction 501c3 tax deductible organization, because no parent should experience the pain and heartbreak we endure every single day. John, Wear Orange today.

Thank you for wearing orange and for fighting with us,

Nate and Cleopatra Pendleton
Parents of Hadiya Pendleton
Founders, Hadiya's Promise

P.S. If you are a survivor of gun violence or have a loved one who has been wounded or killed by gun violence, you can share your story on Moments That Survive with the stories of other survivors of gun violence. Read our Moments That Survive story about Hadiya, here.