Unity Day (United States)

Unity Day
Type National
Significance anti-bullying, bullying awareness, solidarity with victims of bullying

Unity Day, the signature event of National Bullying Prevention Month, has been recognized in the United States since 2011. To participate in Unity Day, individuals, schools, communities, and businesses wear or display orange to show support for students who have been bullied.[1] One in five school-age children report being bullied at school.[2]

History

October 2016

On Unity Day 2016, once again individuals, schools, communities, corporations, and celebrities joined together against bullying – and united for kindness, acceptance, and inclusion. A few highlights include:

  • The campaign was supported by corporations including: CustomInk, Disney, Facebook, Instagram, and Simon & Schuster, Inc.
  • Talent from the TLC network, including Jazz Jennings, Busby Quintuplets from Outdaughtered, Whitney Waythore, and Jarling Perez from Sweet 15: Quinceanera shared their support by wearing orange.
  • LoservilleFilm partnered with PACER's National Bullying Prevention Center. #TeamLoserville wanted everyone to hear the important message that no one should ever have to endure the pain of being hurt, harmed and humiliated. Cast and crew, including Sara Ramirez and Darby Stanchfield wore orange.
  • Over 12,000 Unity Day posters were distributed.
  • A large financial company had a morning greeting with a treat for Unity Day, as well as all their staff wearing orange!
  • Guggenheim Elementary School (K-5) in Port Washington, N.Y., created a smiley face emoji featuring students and staff all in orange.
  • Brletic Elementary had their full orange on for Unity Day, with a drone taking aerial shots of their students on the blacktop!

October 2015

On Unity Day 2015, individuals, schools, communities, corporations, and celebrities joined together against bullying – and united for kindness, acceptance, and inclusion.

  • The campaign was supported by corporations including: CustomInk, Disney, Facebook, Instagram, and the TLC network
  • YouTube sensation Bethany Mota kicked off Unity Day with a media tour and an event at Mall of America on Oct. 20.
  • Disney Interactive employees in the United States wore orange and held events to promote kindness, acceptance, and inclusion.
  • TLC Network talent, including Buddy Valastro, Stacy London and Monte, wore orange and posted positive messages on social media.
  • Nearly 8,000 Unity Day posters were sent to schools and organizations around the country.
  • A dentist office in Minnesota used orange rubber bands for braces.
  • An entire community in Colorado placed orange ribbons on every tree.
  • A school in Illinois handed out orange “kudos” to kids caught doing random acts of kindness.

October 2014

Unity Day 2014 was celebrated by students, educators, families, TV personalities, corporations, and others around the world. Individuals wore orange, held events, and shared stories, photos, videos, and more on social media.

  • PACER’s campaign was supported by corporations including: CustomInk, Disney, Facebook, Frito-Lay, Galderma, Green Giant, and the TLC network.
  • Disney employees in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Argentina honored Unity Day in a variety of ways, from wearing orange to dedicating acts of kindness to each other.
  • Australian motivational speaker, author, and PACER partner Nick Vujicic, who was born without arms and legs, held a press conference in Mexico and posted videos for his millions of followers on Facebook.
  • Talent from TLC network, including Buddy Valastro, wore orange, and TLC changed its logo to orange for the day.
  • In Mexico, a middle school held the first international Run, Walk, Roll Against Bullying event.
  • Students in New Zealand decorated bullying prevention cookies.
  • A school in Taiwan displayed Unity Day posters.
  • In Culver, Ind., local businesses hung Unity Day banners and painted their windows with bullying prevention messages. At schools, inspirational messages were posted on every locker.
  • At Incarnate Word Academy in Corpus Christi, Texas, students celebrated Unity by wearing orange shirts, placing orange ribbons on locker handles, and participating in bullying prevention activities in the classroom.
  • Nearly 500 students and school staff in Hilbert, Wis., showed their commitment by standing together in a gymnasium to spell a giant human U-N-I-T-Y, and doing a district-wide Unity Dance.
  • “I’m Good,” a powerful bullying prevention song by renowned producer Clinton Sparks and hit recording artists The Mowgli’s and Kylie Morgan, was released in October 2014. The song was inspired by creative contributions about bullying from teens as part of the “Band Together to Banish Bullying Campaign,” a partnership between PACER and Galderma Laboratories, L.P., the makers of Epiduo® Gel.
October 2013

Unity Day was supported by several national partners, including Disney/ABC Family[3] and Cartoon Network,[4] through public service announcements (PSAs) and social media promotion. In addition, the fifty-five foot tall statue of the Green Giant in Blue Earth, Minnesota wore an orange toga for the day.[5]

October 2012

Unity Day continued to gather support from individuals, schools, and celebrities. Anderson Cooper wore orange on his TV show, Anderson Live, and promoted the event.[6]

October 2011

Unity Day was started by PACER's National Bullying Prevention Center as a signature event of National Bullying Prevention Month. The call to action was to "Make it Orange and Make it End. Unite Against Bullying!" Participants were encouraged to wear orange to show their support for bullying prevention. Ellen DeGeneres participated in Unity Day in 2011 by wearing orange on her TV show, Ellen, and posting about the event on her website.[7]

2007

Anti-Bullying_Day originated in Canada in 2007, and is a day when people wear a pink, blue, or purple shirt on Feb. 27th, to stand against bullying.

The United Nations declared the official anti-bullying day as May 4, starting in 2012.

References

  1. ↑ Moore, Jane (14 October 2016). "Wear Orange if You Care: Wednesday is Unity Day". Daily Globe. Retrieved 19 October 2016.
  2. ↑ "October National Bullying Prevention Month". Independent. 13 October 2016. Retrieved 19 October 2016.
  3. ↑ Disney Supports National Bullying Prevention Month
  4. ↑ Cartoon Network
  5. ↑ Minnesota Town Highlights Bullying Prevention
  6. ↑ Anderson Cooper Celebrates Unity Day
  7. ↑ Unity Day On Ellen
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