June: Silence the Violence Month of Action
Detroit's Church of the Messiah started the Silence the Violence March seventeen years ago to honor the innocent victims of gun violence. It has grown substantially over the years from a march to a resource fair to a whole community celebration.
Last year, we took it statewide, and organized events in 7 other cities all throughout Michigan during the month of June. This year, we want to make it even bigger.
Can you organize a “Silence the Violence” event in your town?
The purpose is to, of course, honor the innocent victims of gun violence. But we also want to promote the new gun laws that we passed. We need to celebrate that FINALLY something has been done about this terrible scourge of gun violence in our communities.
You can organize a march, or something different, like a gun buyback,
a teach-in, an art show, a movie screening, or a community resource fair.
Anything that works for your community to get the word out about gun
violence.
End Gun Violence Michigan will help and support you by promoting the
event, letting the media know, and inviting elected officials. You need to
get a time and location, an agenda, and invite your friends!
We are also asking every Silence the Violence event to include a special
element: a short training for community educators who can get the word
out about our new gun violence laws. EGVMI will provide the trainers and
materials.
Events are currently being planned in Detroit, Flint, Saginaw, Pontiac, Southfield, Lansing, Grand Rapids, Muskegon, Oxford, Ann Arbor, Grand Haven, Traverse City, Niles and Holland.
Details for each event will be available on this site once they are finalized.
CLICK HERE to sign up to start your own event, or help at one that is already being planned.
We also wish to acknowledge that June is the "Wear Orange" month of action led by Moms Demand Action. We will post their events here and encourage all our supporters to attend their programs as well.
