After his friend Tyrone Love was killed in February in a still unsolved murder, Chukundi Salisbury's work for the Silent War campaign, a movement to turn criminals in to authorities, became intensely personal. It transformed his work in community service into a desire "to bring the outrage back."
Working against the "chic" status of criminality and pervasive desensitization to violence, Salisbury has designed posters that loudly proclaim "Break the Silence" and placed them around neighborhoods in the city. From here, he challenged the youth in schools to avoid being around violent people even if it means looking "corny."
More than seeking justice for his late friend, Salisbury sees "the general apathy of folks" as the central issue. In this way, he views community involvement as a preventive measure and response to violence. While he appreciates "quick opportunities" for volunteerism, his message is that "for a societal shift away from what we have, we need long-term commitments."
To support this, and to build connections between organizers and volunteers, he has started wewilldobetter.org, which connects volunteers with groups that need assistance in Seattle. While he doesn't foresee a crime-free city, he does see one where everyone takes a part in keeping it safe.