Marching for Justice: A Call for Community Safety in Chicago

This past weekend, I walked through the streets of Chicago, near the spot where my teenage brother Christian was murdered four years ago. That tragic loss drove me to create the Caldwell Foundation for Public Safety. Our mission is simple: no family should experience what mine did.

Community members lined the sidewalks, cheering our procession. That moment revealed to me who genuinely supports these communities. I extended invitations to Illinois Governor JB Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson. Calls, emails, and public invitations through various media went unanswered. Not a single response acknowledged this gathering of families affected by murder in their city.

The governor and the mayor, both with a sworn duty to serve Chicago’s citizens, offered no words for grieving parents or the communities suffering from decades of political neglect. Their silence was unequivocal, and the community noticed.

In its heyday, Chicago was a leading economic hub in the Midwest. Today, it’s a cautionary example. Ken Griffin, a prominent investor, moved Citadel and 900 employees from Chicago to Miami after facing direct threats from the city’s violence. “I had two colleagues who had bullets fly through their cars,” Griffin shared. “You can’t live in a city awash in violent crime.” Chicago has lost 1.6 million residents since 2000, with its current population at a historic low.

The brunt of political failures falls on the families who can’t leave, sometimes costing lives. Over the past decade, nearly 7,000 people were murdered in Chicago. Each loss accounts for lives that deserved more, alongside families that continue to mourn.

Darren Bailey, the Republican gubernatorial candidate challenging Governor Pritzker, captured the march’s essence: “People in Chicago shouldn’t live under a death sentence.” Christian should be alive today, as should other victims from the past decade.

Bob Fioretti, a candidate for Illinois attorney general, put the crisis in numerical terms: “So far in Chicago this year, over 1,000 people have been shot, with 220 killed. Just last night, the city saw one death and six injuries. This situation is unacceptable.”

During the march, Apostle Anthony Wilson, a grieving father, shared his daughter Alicia Prince’s story, killed two months ago. “No one should have to bury their child before their time,” he said, emphasizing the tragedy befalling too many families.

The march wasn’t about politics but about a father asserting that his daughter’s life must have meaning. Christian Maxwell, a congressional candidate, stressed, “Safety is not partisan. We want our children to walk safely. This isn’t difficult if leaders prioritize the right outcomes.”

Christine McGovern, running for state senate, addressed a harsh reality: “We cannot normalize the death of our children on the streets.” Many voices joined together to be heard.

Leading the march, I voiced long-held community demands: safe streets for Chicago. The crowd echoed these demands, having lived through the pain of losing loved ones despite having leaders only offering excuses.

The story captured media attention, highlighting a crisis overdue for acknowledgment.

The march began at Morgan Park High School, where Christian attended. Reflecting on returning to where my world changed, I found both pain and hope. The community’s spirit revealed that Chicagoans haven’t given up; they seek to be heard. Decision-makers need to listen.

True leadership didn’t emerge from the governor’s office or city hall but from those who participated in the march, asserting that this situation shouldn’t be accepted as normal. The Caldwell Foundation plans more marches across the country where they are most needed. Violence doesn’t discriminate by location, and neither does our resolve to end it.

The residents of Chicago deserve leaders who actively engage with them outside of election periods.

For detailed information on future initiatives and how to participate, visit this link. Gianno Caldwell, a political analyst for FOX News Channel, provides analysis across the network’s platforms.