Today marks 60 years since Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. led a coalition of Chicago residents and community leaders on a march through the city’s Marquette Park to demand an end to segregation and racist housing policies. 

But what started out as a peaceful demonstration turned into a bloody riot as a white mob attacked the protest and injured dozens of people. 

Last weekend, hundreds of Chicagoans – including Mayor Brandon Johnson – retraced the steps of those marchers through Marquette Park to pay reverence to the leaders of movements past and recognize the fight against social, economic and racial injustices that we face today.  

Today on In the Loop, we hear from two local organizers about the enduring significance of the march and how they are using lessons from the past to lead a new generation of activists. 

GUESTS: 

Rami Nashashibi, executive director of the Inner-City Muslim Action Network 

Jacqulyn Hamilton, activist, organizer and deputy director of the Chicago Freedom School

For a full archive of In the Loop interviews, head over to wbez.org/intheloop.