For over two centuries, gun violence has been a deadly issue in the USA. But sadly, Americans have become numb to this tragic history. To create change, the Illinois Council Against Handgun Violence, an organization that has been fighting gun violence with common sense solutions for over 40 years, needed to influence lawmakers, remind voters, and educate future voters on the value of common-sense gun regulations.

There has been so much gun violence in America that if we put it in a book, it would be thick enough stop a bullet. Introducing The Gun Violence History Book. A powerful symbol, and an educational tool, made out of articles, facts, and data to showcase a history that repeats itself. A book so thick it has done what history has been unable to do. Stop a bullet.

But more than it being a sad uncovering of our past, this book acts as a lesson for the future— for Americans young and old who still believe there is a way for us to close the book on America’s gun violence history.

For two centuries, the public has been bombarded with thousands of stories about gun violence and the debate about gun regulations. With so many stories, people had become numb, making it difficult for organizations like Illinois Council Against Handgun Violence to make a significant impact.

We wanted to use these stories to deliver a powerful message about the tragic history that continues to plague America, and go beyond the traditional ad campaign by creating both a symbol and an educational tool that could meaningfully speak to legislators, voters, and future voters.

We worked with a gun violence history author to curate, collect, and write 19 chapters to help people better understand gun violence, and how common-sense gun regulations will help it.

The book became a vehicle for our message. We sent the books to lawmakers. We used the book for gun violence history classes. Books were displayed in public spaces where historical gun violence took place using the exact coordinates of the events. These displays, a film and PR drove people to our site where they could find and email their senator, or request the book to use as a classroom education tool.

The Gun Violence History Book became more than just a book, it became a powerful tool for change. In the first three days with no paid media, we garnered over 100 million media impressions and a total earned media value of over $1.5MM. The book created thought-provoking conversations that put pressure on lawmakers, and got voters and future voters supporting common sense gun regulations. Since the launch, schools and teachers across America have requested the book to conduct their own Gun Violence History classes.