In celebration of the start of the 2024-25 school year, anti-gun violence nonprofit Artist For Action has launched a new campaign called “Not Lucky” in partnership with NEON and IPG Health.
The campaign image includes an apparent reference to the assassination attempt on former President Trump, showing a teenage girl with a bandage over her ear and the caption, “Not everyone is lucky.”
The Artist for Action to Prevent Gun Violence initiative is designed to inspire people to volunteer, donate and vote to end the gun violence epidemic sweeping the United States. Participating artists include Billie Eilish, Sheryl Crow, Peter Gabriel, Nile Rodgers and more. AFA provides a platform for engagement in gun violence prevention and launched last year with a series of concerts and events, including a performance by Bush and special guests at Irving Plaza in New York.
Every day, 12 children are killed by gun violence in America and 32 others are shot and injured. In this culturally relevant campaign, AI-generated images of children of all ages and backgrounds depict the epidemic of gun violence in American schools and highlight how this growing crisis doesn’t just affect one age group or race. The ads include the thought-provoking phrase, “Not everyone is lucky.”
Led by musician Mark Barden, whose son was one of the 26 people killed in the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, the organization also includes the Pixies, LP, Old Crow Medicine Show, Halestorm, Rozzi, Tedeschi Trucks Band, Karen Fairchild of Little Big Town and more.
“Following the murder of my son Daniel at Sandy Hook Elementary School, I have decided to put my career as a professional guitarist on hold to dedicate myself to gun violence prevention,” Barden said. “Please join me and hundreds of artists, musicians, actors, athletes and people like you to finally end this senseless violence.”
“As a community of artists, we need to come together to create healthy change,” Billie Eilish said in a campaign last year.
“This has to stop,” said Peter Gabriel. “There is too much unnecessary death and too much suffering. It just takes a little common sense.”
According to the Gun Violence Archive, 2023 is likely to be the deadliest year for gun violence ever, with the United States now averaging more than one mass shooting per day. Artist for Action’s mission is to prevent gun violence by convening a coalition of musicians to work to reduce and eliminate the epidemic of gun violence in America. The platform, available here, makes it easy for artists to activate fans to participate in gun violence prevention and other grassroots organizations that enrich lives in their communities and take direct action.
