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Bro. Chukundi Salisbury
Alumni Spotlight | January 6, 2021
Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Western Region's first spotlight of 2021 shines on Alumni Bro. Chukundi Salisbury, who was initiated into Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc. through the Beta Omicron Chapter - Seattle city-wide in the Summer of 1988. Bro. Salisbury graduated in 1992 from Elizabeth City State University (ESCU) in Elizabeth City, NC, with a degree in computer science. Chukundi is a jack of all trades he currently serves as the Manager for the Office of Sustainability and Environmental Engagement Unit for the City of Seattle, is the registered agent of several non-profit organizations, DJ, clothing designer, author of his own comic book series, and recently ran for State Representative in Washington's 37th District.
As a West Coast native who is an HBCU Alumnus how did that experience affected you?
I often use the hashtag #MyHBCUChangedMyLife and I think that it really did. Coming from the West Coast, I had never been in an all-Black ecosystem. Our Chancellor was Black, Campus Security was Black, Teachers [were] Black, nearly everyone was Black. It was empowering and challenging at the same time. It was great to see Black people in power, running things, and leading by example. I loved being around people that genuinely had a love for us and wanted us to succeed. However, it was also a challenge to not be "special" anymore. There is no race card to play at an HBCU. Your success (or failure) is determined by everything except your race. Just like in many Black families, HBCUs have their share of tough love. Immensely proud that I made it!
What made you become a Sigma? I didn’t have immediate family members who were in the Divine 9, so I didn’t have any influences pushing me to join a Historically Black Greek letter Organization. I honestly became a Sigma because a lot of my friends who are older than me, that I looked up to and respected, became men of Sigma.
What is your favorite part of being a Sigma?
My favorite part of being a Sigma is being a part of a great legacy. I love learning of our Fraternal trailblazers that came before me that shared my same humble beginnings that went on to change the world.
What advice you would give to someone interested in Sigma? Collegiate and or an Alumni Brothers?
Don’t let the organization make you; you have to make the organization. Ask yourself what you are going to bring to the organization to make it better. As a potential member, it’s not only your duty to build upon the legacy of those that came before you, but protect the legacy as well. Phi Beta Fraternity, Inc., is one of the last things we have in this world that was created by Black people for Black people.
Collegiate Brothers, it’s never too early to kickstart your network. One of the reasons people join fraternities and sororities is to network. However, you have to have a plan of action and make sure have to reach out to Alumni Brothers well before graduating. Relationships go both ways. As much as you want Alumni Brothers to reach out, you sometimes have to initiate the conversations with Alumni Brothers. If you see a Brother in a position to help, guide, or mentor you, reach out to that Brother. Activate the network now!
Alumni Brothers, we have to make use of the opportunities we have to engage our Collegiate and young Alumni Brothers staying true to our Fraternity’s principles. We have to continue working to do a better job of helping to transition Collegiate into Alumni chapters. We have an obligation to finance the growth of our Fraternity. Far too often, we let the money become a hindrance to Brothers getting involved. We also have to remember to include them in the suggestion and decision making of the Chapter so they truly feel plugged into what is going on.
You spoke of legacy... Please share your experience seeing your daughter become a member of the Blue & White Family?
The day my daughter crossed into Zeta Phi Beta Sorority was one of the happiest days of my life! As a child and teen, I would take her to events and introduce her to #theONLYFamily. When I would take her to celebrate homecoming at my Alma Mater every year, she would be exposed to all members of Divine 9. She spent time on each plot and got to know about each organization. When she chose to attend ESCU and finally got to the yard, I told her that I would support her decision to join any organization of her choosing. Yet, I was so excited when I got the call that she choose to become a member of Zeta (and she needed that check ASAP)! Once she started the process, I tried my best not to be too inquisitive, but of course, I wanted to know if she knew when she was going to cross. Fortunately, we keep a credit card for emergencies, [so] when she called to say they would be crossing in a few days, my wife and I were able to purchase last-minute plane tickets to attend her probate in person. We were only on the yard for those 24 hours, but it was one of the best days of my life. Just to be on the plot and share that once in a lifetime experience was priceless.
What stemmed the drive to create your comic book, The Adventures of Lil Big Fella?
I’m not a comic book creator, per se. I created a series to help shape the lives of our young people. However, I guess my inspiration is threefold:
1. Growing up, my son was into drawing and he would draw little comics so I thought that we should create our own comic book together. However, I became a little overbearing and my son got frustrated because he didn’t want to create a comic book and said I should create my own, so I did.
2. I also got inspiration from one of my 501©3 organizations called 100BlackParents. This organization has an annual camping retreat that takes 250 Black young men and boys to real camping. One of the things I learned was that middle school students now were going through the same issues I was facing and I wanted to represent them. I needed to represent the everyday Black boy who struggled to achieve consciousness. Representation matters!
3. Lastly, I was already doing work with young Black men and I believe that in order to combat the school-to-prison pipeline that many of our young Black children fall victim to, we needed to have more upstream programs created. As a society and people, we don’t invest in upstream programs as much as we invest in rehabilitation programs, and this has to change. I believe I help illustrate an idea and mentality of what happens when we move upstream with The Adventures of Lil Big Fella.
Where can we find and purchase the Adventures of Lil Big Fella?
Visit the website: lilbigfella.square.site and Video Interview
I had been working on voter education and engagement for the past 6 years with my non-profit, URBVOTE (The Urban Vote Project), and I heard President Obama when he said, "Don’t Boo, Vote!" I have been close to elections, politics, and the process. I have also been serving as a volunteer and as Precinct Committee Officer (PCO) for a few years as well. A PCO is responsible for helping to engage and educate voters in a particular neighborhood. Although people in the community had been asking me to run for office for some time, I did not think it was for me at the time. When the seat opened upon the announcement that our rep was would be retiring, I thought about it, and with the support of my family and community, I put my hat in the ring. I have long known that to achieve real, systemic change, we need changes at the policy level. An example of this is police accountability. We often are upset and outraged over the actions of police officers and the lack of accountability for their actions, but we never really stop to review the policy. So, I decided to run for office on a platform of true representation because I felt as though we needed someone with the lived experience, but also an eye for the policy changes that are needed. I learned a great deal from the experience, and I am hoping to develop a webinar to educate others on the process. I would say that “politics” is more than just a person or their ideas and experiences. While those are most certainly a foundation, the real work of a campaign is about reaching actual voters that vote and raising the money that it takes to do that in a real way. I am taking a break to focus on my other projects and organization, but I am not ruling out running again.
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