On January 20th, history will be made when Barack Obama takes the oath of office as President of the United States. Today, the reality is sinking in for some Marylanders that they have an invitation to be witnesses to history.
They are the ones who found out only yesterday that they were selected to receive invitations to the inauguration. Tridena Thomas thought for sure someone was playing a joke on her when she
got a phone call claiming to be from the office of Congressman Elijah Cummings.
There were more than 20 thousand requests to that office alone for tickets to the inauguration. The office was given just 200. Cummings says he turned to republican colleagues from other states who weren't overwhelmed with requests to get a few extra tickets. He was on hand today to personally hand over
some of the tickets to his constituents, which he said was like "giving them a million dollars."
Tiffany Wade, a teacher at Baltimore Talent Development High School says she'll have much to tell her
students. Arthur Brown, the father of a 19 year old Bowie State student, says he and his wife will be
taking their son to Washington to witness the event.
Cummings says he's glad so many young people will be able to attend the inauguration, but he says he'll be
thinking a lot about the people, including his father, who did not live long enough to see an African American become president. He says he's telling everyone to create a journal to record all they see and do on inauguration day so they will be able to share that moment in history with generations to come.
