ATHENS, Ala. — Gun violence is a hot button issue in our nation, and it has been for years. June is gun violence awareness month and more specifically June 7 is Gun Violence Awareness Day. Gun Violence Awareness Day is dedicated to remember victims killed, honor survivors, and find ways to end deadly trends.
According to the New York Division of Criminal Justice Services gun violence is the leading cause of death for African American young men between the ages of 15 - 24 in the United States. FOX54 sat down with Benard Simelton, President of the Alabama NAACP who shares ways to reduce gun violence in our communities. "One of the things is to talk to our children, to talk to our neighbors, to have those hard conversations with them, to know where your children are at, you know, 10:00, 11:00, 12:00 at night. Don't allow them to hang out with friends, you know, unless there's adult supervision."
The Alabama NAACP just announced their participation plans for the annual Project Wear Orange Campaign as well. "Each month during the month of June, we participate with the National Project Wear Orange Campaign where we have events to draw attention about gun violence. Hunters wear orange to be seen. And so that's why we were orange and that's why the campaign came up with the idea of wearing orange so that, you know, we're being seen, we're noticed, that you know we want to make a change.
Another initiative the Alabama NAACP has is the works is the S.W.A.G. or Stronger Without a Gun kick off at Big Spring Park in Huntsville Jun 8 at 11:00a. "What we're doing is we come up with nine different strategies that we're sharing with our branches and eventually with the community. These strategies include everything from having real conversations, community relations, communication, conversations with people in the community, the young folks about gun violence and why gun violence. We are pushing for stronger gun laws that will prevent people who don't deserve to have a weapon that they will not be able to get it."