Quakers WEAR ORANGE for Gun Violence Prevention

In support of gun violence prevention and Gun Violence Awareness Month in June, Friends wore orange to our June 2 Meeting for Worship.

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 2nd inaugural parade in 2013. After her death, Hadiya’s friends and family asked all of us 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.

Nonviolence is a core belief of Quakerism that George Fox and other founders first presented in the Peace Testimony of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) to Charles II of England in 1660:

We utterly deny all outward wars and strife and
fighting with outward weapons for any end or under any pretense whatever;
this is our testimony to the whole world. 

— Declaration George Fox and other Friends  to Charles II of England, 1660/61 

The Quaker non-violence/peace testimony is not simply a political position against war. It is rooted in a spiritual conviction that there is “that of God” in every person, and that violence violates the divine Light within others. From the 17th century onward, Quakers have refused military service, opposed capital punishment, worked in prison reform, supported conscientious objectors, advocated for gun violence prevention and sought for nonviolent conflict resolution. The Peace Testimony continues to shape Quaker witness today, calling Friends to live in ways that reduce harm, seek justice, and build communities grounded in compassion rather than force.

Living the Peace Testimony in real life also means examining our own hearts. Nonviolence is not only about weapons; it is about how we treat one another. Friends strive to interrupt cycles of anger, fear, and retaliation with patience and compassion. We teach our children peaceful problem-solving. We show up at vigils. We accompany those harmed by violence. We work for systemic change while also practicing everyday kindness. The Peace Testimony calls us to embody the belief that every person carries the Light within them — and that lasting peace begins there.