The Meaning of Colored Wristbands

Yellow "LIVESTRONG" bracelets popularized awareness of wristbands of many colors.

First popularized by the yellow "LIVESTRONG" bracelets supporting Lance Armstrong and cancer research, colored wristbands traditionally represent support for specific causes or general groups of people. Sports fans also wear colored wristbands in support of their favorite team.

Red

Red rubber bracelets have generally been used to represent HIV/AIDS awareness and heart disease prevention. Bush supporters wore red wristbands before the 2004 election.

White

White wristbands have been used extensively in the United Kingdom. UK campaigns for anti-poverty use white wristbands to draw awareness. A white and black bracelet worn together, with the messages "Stand Up" and "Speak Up," shows support for anti-racism.

Purple

Groups drawing awareness for causes including cancer, autism, fibromyalgia, lupus and domestic violence have adopted purple for their awareness bracelets. Support groups for Alzheimer's disease have imprinted "MINDSTRONG" on their purple bracelets.

Other Color Meanings

Bracelets of any color (or combination of colors) can have multiple meanings. Often, a message imprinted on the bracelet will let people know what cause it is supporting.

References

• Rubber Bracelets: Rubber Bracelets Color Meaning