Thousands marched on Saturday, August 1, as part of a multi-faith, multicultural procession commemorating the 60th anniversary of the Chicago Freedom Movement. Led by the Inner-City Muslim Action Network (IMAN), the event welcomed community members, socialist organizations and religious leaders for musical performances, speeches and a march from 63rd Street and Kedzie Avenue to Marquette Park.
Throughout the day, speakers renewed calls to confront segregation, redlining, attacks on immigrants, mass incarceration and growing economic inequality—many of the same issues Martin Luther King Jr. confronted 60 years ago when he lived on Chicago’s West Side.
In a press release, organizers said that “together, faith leaders, civic leaders, organizers, artists, young people and communities from across the country will march for free and fair elections, freedom for immigrant and marginalized communities, and a future rooted in dignity, justice and shared humanity.”
IMAN Executive Director Rami Nashashibi said the march was not only a historic commemoration, but also a response to the trauma, suffering and challenges facing cities like Chicago today. He sees the traces of redlining throughout the present-day U.S. “Those lines are being drawn across the country and they’re hurting and harming not only the fabric of communities but really the soul of the nation.”…