Today in Chicago: Second Annual Wear Orange Party For Peace To Feature Malik Yusef, Noname, Malcolm London, Nate and Cleo Pendleton, Cecilia Rodhe, Lucy McBath and Much More

"Wear Orange" Inspired by Chicago Teens Who Refused to Be Silent in the Face of Daily Gun Violence; Follow Photos on #WearOrange

Chicago's Party for Peace Serves as Centerpiece for National Gun Violence Awareness Day and "Wear Orange" Movement

News provided by

Wear Orange

Jun 02, 2016, 08:00 ET

CHICAGO, June 2, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Today, June 2, National Gun Violence Awareness Day, the Wear Orange campaign will host the second annual Wear Orange Party for Peace, a community event to honor the lives of those affected by gun violence and to elevate gun violence prevention efforts in Chicago and nationwide.  The event will take place in Harold Washington Playlot Park and feature performances by five-time Grammy winner Malik Yusef and poetic rapper and rising star Noname. Spoken word poet and peace activist Malcolm London will emcee the event and be joined on stage throughout the day by Cecilia Rodhe, co-founder of Noah's Arc Foundation and mother of Joakim Noah; Nate and Cleo Pendleton, whose daughter Hadiya Pendleton was shot and killed in Chicago, founders of Hadiya's Promise, Nza-Ari Khepra, co-founder of Project Orange Tree and co-creator of Wear Orange and Lucy McBath, a Chicago native and mother of slain teen Jordan Davis. Pikazzo, the 17-year old winner of the first-ever Voices of Orange competition will also perform. The Party for Peace will include food, games and activities for the whole family.

Wear Orange was inspired by friends of Hadiya Pendleton, a 15-year-old Chicago high school student killed by gunfire, who decided to honor her life by wearing orange – the color hunters wear in the woods to protect themselves and others. This year, on June 2—what would have been Hadiya's 19th birthday—more than 500 influencers, corporations, mayors, partner organizations and a series of iconic landmarks across the country including the Crain Communications building in downtown Chicago will participate in the Wear Orange Campaign (www.WearOrange.org).

What:       

The Chicago Party for Peace, the centerpiece of the national Wear Orange campaign, is a marquee event of National Gun Violence Awareness Day. The block party, BBQ and free concert event honors the lives of those affected by gun violence and elevates gun violence prevention efforts in Chicago and nationwide.


When:     

Thursday, June 2 
4:00 PM – 8:00 PM


Where:   

Harold Washington Playlot Park 
5200 S Hyde Park Blvd, Chicago, IL 60615 
Intersection of S Hyde Park Blvd and E 53rd Street


Who:      

    • Malik Yusef, five-time Grammy Award winning recording artist, founder of youth literacy foundation, For Yourself Foundation and Director of Arts and Culture for the Hip Hop Caucus.

    • Noname, a poetic rapper hailing from the South Side of Chicago. Her silky raps have shared air with Chicago's hip-hop elite – Mick Jenkins, Saba, Donnie Trumpet and Chance the Rapper. She is currently working on her long-awaited debut project, Telefone.

    • Malcolm London, Party for Peace 2016 emcee, an acclaimed poet, activist, educator and performer.

    • Cecilia Rodhe, artist, sculptor, co-founder of Noah's Arc Foundation and mother of Chicago Bulls Center Joakim Noah.
    • Cleopatra and Nathaniel Pendleton, Cleopatra and Nathaniel's daughter Hadiya Pendleton was murdered on January 29, 2013, when she was shot and killed in Harsh Park on Chicago's South Side. Hadiya had participated in President Obama's public inaugural celebration just days before she was killed — on January 21, 2013. Hadiya was a student and band majorette at King College Prep High School. Cleopatra and Nathaniel founded Hadiya's Promise in her memory and they are on the advisory board of Everytown for Gun Safety.
    • Nza-Ari Khepra, co-founder of Project Orange Tree, an organization started by a group of Chicago teenagers who asked their classmates to honor the life of their friend Hadiya Pendleton by wearing orange. Nza-Ari is currently a student at Columbia University.
    • Lucy McBath, Lucy's son, Jordan Davis, was shot and killed over loud music at a Jacksonville gas station in November 2012. McBath was honored by VH1 as part of their 'Dear Mama' event this year and she is the Faith and Outreach coordinator for Everytown for Gun Safety, a Wear Orange partner.

RSVP:    

Media must RSVP to attend this event. Press check-in behind the main stage. Send RSVPs to Lizzie Ulmer, [email protected].

All events nationwide are searchable via an online map (available here) and easy to track on June 2 by following the #WearOrange hashtag.

Full details on Wear Orange 2016 available here.

About Wear Orange

In 2013, a small group of teens at a South Side Chicago high school asked their classmates to honor the life of their murdered friend Hadiya Pendleton by wearing orange – the color hunters wear in the woods to protect themselves and others and a color that reflects the value of human life.  They inspired the Wear Orange campaign (wearorange.org), a coalition of more than 200 non-profits, cultural influencers and elected officials working to reduce gun violence in America. Spearheaded by Everytown for Gun Safety, the campaign asks Americans who believe we can do more to save lives from gun violence to do one simple thing on June 2, National Gun Violence Awareness Day: Wear Orange. Those who wear orange pledge to honor the lives of Americans stolen by gun violence, to help keep firearms out of dangerous hands and to protect our children from gun violence.  Wear Orange has already reached more than 220 million people worldwide and is fast becoming the symbol of the gun violence prevention movement.

Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20150514/216081LOGO

MEDIA CONTACT
Lizzie Ulmer, [email protected], 269.271.2331

SOURCE Wear Orange

Related Links

http://www.WearOrange.org

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