Spirit of Detroit Dressed in Orange Jersey ahead of Silence the Violence March
DETROIT – Leaders in Detroit and over 100 community members came together last Friday, June 5th, to dress the Spirit of Detroit in an orange jersey as part of the End Gun Violence movement and to invite Detroit to the 19th Annual Silence the Violence March held last Saturday.
The Silence the Violence month of education, remembrance, and action grew out of Pastor Barry Randolph’s Church of the Messiah 19 years ago, as the community was tired of burying their neighbors and children and decided to march for those impacted by gun violence.
“We use this as a moment to come together, and it is absolutely beautiful. We marched in the memory of those we have lost, and with intention to continue the work to silence the violence in our community,” stated Pastor Barry. He encouraged everyone to join them at the march.
During the press event, speakers included Pastor Barry Randolph, Teferi Brent, Dr. Lawrence Diebel, MD, and officials from the Mayor’s office and Police Department. They emphasized the importance of coming together from different backgrounds and experiences to end gun tragedies.
Hosted by the City of Detroit ERG Wellbeing Committee, the event was followed by a “Stop the Bleed” training on how to respond to severe bleeding emergencies before first responders arrive, as well as CPR training and local grief support.
The event marked the second year that the Spirit of Detroit was dressed in an orange jersey to usher in Silence the Violence in the city. The orange jersey represents the city’s continued commitment and successes in reducing gun violence.
The annual Silence the Violence event at Church of the Messiah took place on Saturday, June 6th, 2026. It kicked off with a press conference at 10am, a march at 11am, followed by a community resource fair and an opportunity to destroy unwanted firearms with Disarmory Ministries until 2pm.
Additional Silence the Violence events, happening across the state during the month of June, can be found on End Gun Violence Michigan’s website at www.endgunviolencemi.org/silence-the-violence.
