When is Unity Day held?

Unity Day is typically held annually on the third or fourth Wednesday of National Bullying Prevention Month in October.

Why Unity Day?

For years, our society justified bullying with expressions, such as, “Bullying is a natural part of childhood,” “Some kids just deserve to be bullied,” or “Bullying is a rite of passage.” The goal of the day is to bring together youth, parents, educators, businesses, and community members across the nation to emphasize the message that bullying is not acceptable and that all students deserve to be safe in school, online, and in the community.

What is the call to action?

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The call to action is simple—to wear and share the color orange—as a tangible representation of the supportive, universal message that our society wants to prevent bullying, and is united for kindness, acceptance, and inclusion.

Why the color orange?

As Unity Day is held during October, orange is a color commonly identified with the month and the autumn season. It is also a color that is associated with safety and visibility. It is a color described as warm and inviting, and its vibrancy makes an impactful statement. Orange was also a color that was not being used by another widely known cause.

When was the first Unity Day?

The first Unity Day was held in 2011. The “Unity Dance,” featuring Tristan McIntosh, who went on the become a 2016 American Idol finalist, was also created that year.

Who was the first celebrity to wear orange?

In 2011, in the first year of the event, Ellen DeGeneres wore an orange sweater and talked about the significance of Unity Day on her show and promoted the event online.

How can schools participate?

There are a number of opportunities to get involved, including displaying the free posters, encouraging everyone to wear an orange item, or having a classroom discussion about what unity means and why it’s important in bullying prevention. Schools have also contributed their own creative ideas such as creating orange crowns for each student or participating in Project Connect, in which each student contributes a message on a strip of orange paper to create a chain representing the power of unity. New activities include creating a Unity Tree, holding a Unity Parade, and more ideas for wearing and sharing orange.

What can one person do?

Everyone’s involvement is important! This event goes beyond the school wall and into the community. Anyone can wear orange and share an image with an online post. For so long, those who were bullied felt that no one cared—the simple act of wearing orange shows that them that they are not alone and will hopefully empower them to speak out and reach out.

How can businesses and organizations get involved?

Go orange! Be creative! A few ideas include: in 2013 the iconic Green Giant statue in Blue Earth, MN wore an orange toga and lit up the night sky with an orange glow. TLC of the Discovery Channel made their logo orange for the day. Other ways to go orange include tying orange ribbons to a fence or around a tree, offering an orange item for sale with proceeds to the National Bullying Prevention Center, or creating a unity mural.

Is there an official T-shirt?

Yes! Every year there is a new, exclusive, custom-designed T-shirt that is available to order in time to wear during October and beyond.

Are other orange products available?

In addition to the T-shirts, schools and individuals can order a free Unity Day poster, bookmarks and flyers.

How has Unity Day changed?

In 2011, the event had a call to action to wear orange and unite against bullying. Today, the call to action has evolved to wear and share (through social media) orange to unite for kindness, acceptance, and inclusion.