A motley crew of long-time activists and college students was shuffling through a Jewel parking lot in Aurora, loading their bags onto two vans that would soon depart for Washington, D.C.

Rev. Geri Solomon, the organizer of the trip, was in no mood to waste time. "Come here, babe," she said upon my arrival. "Do you have your, hum, money? Because that lady just bought a bunch of food for us to take, and I need to hustle to pay her back."

Solomon is a very accomplished hustler for progressive causes. Last year she was invited to speak at a local fundraiser for then-long shot presidential candidate Dennis Kucinich. Perhaps due to her motivational speaking experience, she inspired the audience to fork up so much money that the Kucinich camp promptly asked her to organize his campaign in Illinois.

Solomon is also involved with peace groups in the suburbs and Northwest Indiana, and when she heard about the massive rally and march scheduled for Sept. 24 in D.C. she rented two 15-passenger vans to transport local activists willing to fork up $80 to hit the road ...

Visit Chicago FreeSpeechZone for an account of four days in the lives of a civil rights activist, an Army veteran, two retirees, a priest bound for arrest, and others who journeyed together to D.C. from Chicagoland and Northwest Indiana - plus photos and some of the most inspired signs from the march.