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Community Corner

Online Album: The Black March

Morton Grove Patch follows the lead organizers from their headquarters in Chicago's North Side to the march in downtown Chicago.

"Freedom we demand! In our homeland!"

Nearly 1,500 Iraqi Christians shouted these words as they marched and prayed for action at Monday's Black March rally in downtown Chicago. The event, organized by SAWRA--which means "hope" in Assyrian--was just one of several similar rallies that were also held cities such as Phoenix, Detroit, London and Sydney. 

The Village is home to a strong Iraqi Christian community. 

Find out what's happening in Niles-Morton Grovewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Morton Grove resident Niva Rasho participated in the rally. The restaurant owner describes the local community as "very welcoming." She moved to the village 15 years ago, and now raises her two children, ages seven and four, with her husband and her parents under the same roof.

"I would say there are a couple thousand Assyrians living in the Morton Grove and Skokie area," she said. Morton Grove is home to the patriarch of the Christian Church of the East, which serves as an umbrella organization for the various Assyrian churches in town. "We all attend church and parties together. People are very aware, and there are Assyrian stores nearby," Rasho said. 

Find out what's happening in Niles-Morton Grovewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Be sure to check out our written coverage of the rally as well as a video of the day's events.

If you missed our initial coverage of SAWRA or events that lead to the Black March, click here.

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