Washington (Top40 Charts / Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence) Singer Tony Bennett, who marched with Dr.
Martin Luther King, Jr. in Selma in 1965, will perform at the "Realize the Dream" rally as part of the Voices Against Violence (VAV) campaign on Saturday, August 24 th at the Lincoln Memorial. The rally is a part of the "National Action to Realize the Dream" march planned to continue the efforts begun 50 years ago when Dr. King gave his iconic "I Have a Dream" speech.
Voices Against Violence (VAV), a campaign led by Tony
Bennett , his son,
Danny Bennett , and The Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, was founded earlier this year to give voice to the overwhelming majority of Americans who support sensible gun reforms and use that voice to hold elected leaders accountable and create change. This week, VAV launched a groundbreaking new website designed to engage and amplify the voice of the American people to engage people at Saturday's rally.
The website, VoicesAgainstViolence.com , will engage the American population in a way that's never been done before, by converting the public voice into a unique visual identity called a voice signature. Once users visit the site, they will say their name and recite a phrase of solidarity, "My voice matters." The site will generate a unique voice signature in real time that users can share across the social web.
"Dr. King's humanitarian message of non-violence is as relevant and necessary today as it was 50 years ago. I share his dream that we need to do away with violence in all its forms, especially gun violence, and work towards mutual respect and understanding between citizens regardless of their race, religion or ethnic background," commented Tony
Bennett .
"Fifty years ago Dr.
Martin Luther King gathered with thousands of people to amplify their voices for change. We hope to continue to amplify the voice of the people, so politicians heed our call," said
Danny Bennett , a co-founder of Voices Against Violence.
"Dr. King was one of the most powerful voices in history that inspired the voices of millions of Americans who spoke out for change. It is time for the American public once again to raise its voice, this time on the issue of the gun violence that is destroying our communities and our nation, and there is no more fitting place to start than on the 50 th anniversary of the historic March On Washington," said Dan Gross , President of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence.
While the impact of gun violence affects every community, African American children and teens are 17 times more likely to die from gun homicide than white youth, according to the latest statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. And while African Americans make up 15 percent of youth in America, African Americans accounted for 45 percent of child and teen gun deaths in 2010, based on the most recent data available.
VAV's participation in the rally will include a performance by Tony
Bennett , honorary chair of the "Voices Against Violence" campaign, Dan Gross , President, Brady Campaign , and guest speakers that are victims of gun violence.
For more information on VAV please visit: www.voicesagainstviolence.com
For more information on Tony
Bennett please visit: www.tonybennett.com
The mission of the Brady organization is to create a safer
America for all of us that will lead to the dramatic reduction in gun deaths and injuries that we all seek.
Dan Gross is the President of the Brady Campaign and the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence . More information about Dan Gross is available here .
For more insight on gun violence prevention, follow our Facebook Page and Twitter Account .
RELATED LINKS
https://www.voicesagainstviolence.com
