2020 Social Media Toolkit  for Candidates & Elected Officials 

         

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 Wear Orange 2020  The Inspiration  On January 21, 2013, Hadiya Pendleton, a high school student from the south side of Chicago, marched in President Obama’s second inaugural parade. One week later, Hadiya was shot and killed on a playground in Chicago. Soon after this tragedy, Hadiya’s childhood friends decided to commemorate her life by wearing orange, the color hunters wear in the woods to protect themselves and others.  In June 2015, Hadiya’s birth month, a broad-based coalition asked people nationwide to join in what Hadiya’s friends started for the 1st National Gun Violence Awareness Day. In the years since, participation in Wear Orange has increased tenfold. In 2019, #WearOrange trended all day on Twitter with hundreds of thousands of Americans taking part along with more than 300 corporate and nonprofit partners such as Viacom, Levi Strauss & Co., Dick’s Sporting Goods, Amalgamated Bank, the National PTA and Planned Parenthood, and over 200 of the most impactful thought and culture leaders in the country—including President Obama, Julianne Moore, Laura Dern, Keegan-Michael Key, Amy Schumer, Conan O’Brien, Hailey Bieber and Lin-Manuel Miranda. A record number of buildings and landmarks (300+ in all 50 states plus Washington D.C.) lit the skyline orange while more than 850 events inspired thousands of Americans to participate.    

Wear Orange 2020  Gun violence doesn’t stop because of coronavirus, and neither does the movement to stop it. Just as gun violence disproportionately impacts Black and brown communities, so too does coronavirus. There is not a public health crisis in the United States that is not made worse by systemic racism and inequalities. This year, we will wear orange from home to keep our families and others safe. Together, we will honor the more than 100 Americans shot and killed every day and the hundreds more wounded.  From Hadiya’s friends on the south side of Chicago, to community organizers in Queens, to students around the country, we will come together virtually to wear orange and demand a change.   In 2020, the 6th National Gun Violence Awareness Day will fall on June 5, the first Friday of the month.   That will kick off Wear Orange Weekend on June 5-7, which will feature virtual events across the nation.    Table of Contents 

Part one: Key info for #WearOrange social media Part two: Sample posts and campaign promotion calendar 

   

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Part One:  Key Information for #WEARORANGE on Social Media  

● Official hashtag for all platforms: #WearOrange Please use this hashtag in all of your #WearOrange posts so we can tie the conversation together and show the scale of the movement.  

● Wear Orange coalition website: wearorange.org  

● Tool to turn your profile pic orange: wearorange.org/wear-orange  

● Dropbox folder where you can download all of the assets in this toolkit: bit.ly/2020wearorangeassets  

● Tell your followers to #WearOrange on June 5, which is National Gun Violence Awareness Day, and give them ideas on how to go orange safely from home. Find simple and creative ideas here: www.wearorange.org/go-orange  

● Invite your followers to join virtual events throughout #WearOrange Weekend, June 5-7, by texting ORANGE to 644-33. 

        

  

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 Part Two:   Sample posts and campaign promotion calendar  Week of May 25  Help your followers learn more about #WearOrange and the gun violence prevention movement.  

Sample Post Text On June 5—National Gun Violence Awareness Day—Americans will #WearOrange to honor gun violence survivors and bring attention to the gun violence crisis that devastates countless families and communities every single year. Learn more at wearorange.org.  Post Image 

  Download English image for Instagram, Facebook & Tumblr here 

 Download English image for Twitter here 

 Download Spanish image for Instagram, Facebook & Tumblr here 

 Download Spanish image for Twitter here 

  

   Let your followers know to #WearOrange on Friday, June 5, for National Gun Violence Awareness Day, and to attend a Wear Orange Weekend virtual event on June 5-7.  

Sample Post Text #WearOrange is a time when Americans honor victims and survivors of gun violence and spread awareness about this crisis that takes more than 100 lives and wounds hundreds more every day.   Show your support by sharing your #WearOrange pic on 6/5 and joining a virtual event 6/5-7 

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 Week of May 25 continued….  

Post Image   

 Download English image for Instagram, Facebook & Tumblr here 

 Download English image for Twitter here 

 Download Spanish image for Instagram, Facebook & Tumblr here 

 Download Spanish image for Twitter here  

     Week of June 1  Ask your followers to get ready to #WearOrange on June 5, and give them ideas on how to go orange safely from home.  

Sample Post Text Are you ready for National Gun Violence Awareness Day on June 5? Need ideas on how to #WearOrange safely from home?   Find simple and creative ways you can go orange at wearorange.org/go-orange!  Post Image 

  

  

Download image for Instagram, Facebook & Tumblr here  

Download image for Twitter here      

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 Week of June 1 continued….  Ask your followers to sign up for a #WearOrange Weekend virtual event.  

Sample Post Text Americans from coast to coast will come together virtually on June 5-7 to call attention to America’s gun violence crisis. Text ORANGE to 644-33 to sign up for a #WearOrange virtual event. 

 Post Image 

    

Download image for Instagram, Facebook & Tumblr here  

Download image for Twitter here        Thursday, June 4  Give your followers a final reminder to #WearOrange tomorrow, June 5.  

Sample Post Text Tomorrow is National Gun Violence Awareness Day! Don’t forget to #WearOrange and share your pic on social media telling the world why YOU are wearing orange!  Post Image 

  

Download image for Instagram, Facebook & Tumblr here  

Download image for Twitter here  

Download Spanish image for Instagram, Facebook & Tublr here  Download Spanish image for Twitter here 

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 Friday, June 5, National Gun Violence Awareness Day (aka, the BIG day!)  Turn your social media profile pictures orange.  

Sample Post Text Today, I #WearOrange in honor of all those whose lives have been taken or forever changed by senseless and preventable gun violence. Why do you wear orange? 

 Post Image A photo of you wearing orange, or an orange version of your profile picture made with our #WearOrange tool: wearorange.org/wear-orange 

 Ask your followers to turn their social media profile pics orange.  

Sample Post Text ● Today is National Gun Violence Awareness Day. Show the world that you're committed to 

ending gun violence in America — use this tool to turn your profile picture orange. #WearOrange wearorange.org/wear-orange  

● Support survivors of gun violence by turning your profile pic orange today for National Gun Violence Awareness Day! #WearOrange wearorange.org/wear-orange  

● Today is National Gun Violence Awareness Day — help send a clear message that we can end gun violence. Use this tool to turn your profile pic orange! #WearOrange www.wearorange.org/wear-orange 

 Remind your followers to sign up for a #WearOrange Weekend virtual event.  

Sample Post Text Show your support for gun violence prevention June 5-7! Sign up for a #WearOrange virtual event by texting ORANGE to 644-33! 

 Post Image 

    

Download image for Instagram, Facebook & Tumblr here  

Download image for Twitter here 

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  Saturday & Sunday, June 5-7 

 Remind your followers to post pics from Wear Orange Weekend virtual events on social media using the #WearOrange hashtag.  Sample Post Text 

● Are you showing your support for gun violence prevention by joining a #WearOrange virtual event today? Be sure to share your pics on social media with the #WearOrange hashtag!  

 ● Show the world how you are supporting gun violence prevention—safely from home—this Wear 

Orange Weekend! Share pics from virtual events and be sure to include the #WearOrange hashtag! 

  

Other resources  

● Wear Orange-themed Zoom meeting backgrounds ● Wear Orange-themed Instagram story panels ● Add #WearOrange gifs to your instagram stories; find them by searching the hashtag in the GIF section. 

   

 Thank you for supporting #WearOrange! 

 

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