The 28-year-old speech communications professor started thinking of effective ways to spread an anti-violence message and came up with the 500campaign, head shots of Chicagoans with the slogan “Angry Because Over 500 Youth Were Murdered in Chicago.”

“I came across a picture of myself looking sad and that’s what started it,” Cross says. “I posted it on Instagram and Facebook with the text, and next thing I know, 20 people emailed me asking to do it for them.”

SOURCE: thegrio.com

According to the instagram page, 500campaign is a grassroots social media campaign to bring national awareness to the violence in Chicago.

You can join by emailing a photo to 500campaign@gmail.com