Tri-Cities Residents Prepare For Inauguration Trip To Washington, DC

Margaret Davis is one of 41 people preparing to leave for Washington, DC. Davis and a busload of people are taking a 3-day trip to be part of the historic inauguration of President-Elect Barack Obama on Tuesday, January 20th.

By: Nate Morabito | TriCities.com
Published: January 16, 2009

In just five days, President-Elect Barack Obama will make history when he’s sworn in as the country’s first African-American Commander in Chief. Millions are expected to attend Tuesday’s inauguration, including dozens of people from the Tri-Cities.

As Washington, DC gets ready for the big day, 410 miles away, Margaret Davis of Johnson City prepares to be a face in the crowd.

"I want to be able to say I was there to witness this portion of history," Davis said.

Sunday, the Washington, DC native, along with 40 friends will leave for the nation’s capital. The group's three-day "From Slavery to the White House" tour is a trip centuries in the making. After all, Davis doubted she would see a black president in her lifetime.

"For my mother, who is 89 years-old to say she never thought she would see it in her lifetime goes even farther to say how far we've come," Davis said.

But even those who won't attend can get a sense of history in the making. They’ll be able to read about the inauguration thanks to one man's first-hand account. Johnson City Press Copy Desk Supervisor Don Armstrong spends his days designing the newspaper. Next Wednesday, he'll be part of a front page story.

"I've been antsy, at least for the last, especially the last couple of days,” Armstrong said. “It's less than a week away now. It’s like, “Oh my goodness, I'm going to be there to see Barack Obama sworn in.’"

Armstrong, an avid Obama supporter, was originally going to the inauguration for fun.

"I want to just be a small part of that,” Armstrong said. “A small part of that grand history; just to be there."

Now, he's also agreed to write an article about his experience for Wednesday’s Johnson City Press.

"Actually seeing it with my own two eyes, I just can't imagine what that's going to be like,” Armstrong said.

While he shares his story with readers, Margaret Davis will do the same with her seven year-old grandson.

"I can honestly say to him, ‘You can be anything in this United States that you want to be, even if you want to be president,’ and really mean it,” Davis said.

Two Science Hill High School students will accompany Davis on the bus trip. Ayanna Alexander and Jonathan Radford will attend the inauguration as student representatives of the local chapter of the NAACP.