Next best thing to being ‘there’ on January 20, 2009

Jan. 19, 2009 – In a recent story, we noted that

A group of Illinois students will embark on a once
in a lifetime trip on Sunday to witness a piece of history – the
inauguration of the country’s first African American president.

The “Witness to History Bus Tour,” organized by Clarence Davidson at the Chicago-based Center for Community Advocacy,
will take approximately 25 students from around Illinois on a free
4-day bus trip to Washington D.C. for the Inauguration on Jan. 20.

Here is a schedule of events before and during the inauguration. If you can’t join them, here are a couple of ways to be part of the Inauguration as if you were there:

Join the group in Columbia College Chicago’s library, where they will be streaming the event on big screen.
NPR’s novel electronic “InaugurationReport”.
Check out the St Louis Today’s collection of inaugural speeches and the word cloud analysis you can do with them.

Thanks to Community Media Workshop for all these suggestions:
January 19, 20
A Martinmas
celebration with performances, education, service projects and fun,
Monday, January 19, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. ($8/$5 children); all-day Inauguration Day.

Monday, January 19

Korean Americans answer the Inauguration Committee’s call for
community organizations to hold activities for a national day of
service on King Day. The Korean American Resource and Cultural Center, Korean American Women In Need, and Korean American Community Services.

People’s Inauguration culminates the Camp Hope
vigil with a King Day rally to “reclaim our democracy” in Federal Plaza
at 4 p.m. Also at Federal Plaza, at 1 p.m., women and children will
hold a silent vigil for peace and justice in Palestine. (Camp Hope’s Kathy Kelly recently reported from her peace witness on the Gaza border.)

Tuesday January 20

Moveon has a listing of dozens of inaugural events throughout Chicago. Some highlights:

9:30 a.m. – Workers Education Society gathers to discuss, watch the Inauguration at the Unity Center, 3339 S. Halsted.

10 a.m. until – Silver Room,
1442 N. Milwaukee, is open for large-screen viewing of inaugural events
all day; holds its monthly current events forum and discussion at 7
p.m.; the party starts at 9 p.m.

10:30 a.m. – Inaugural celebration at the Lutheran School of Theology in Hyde Park.

5 p.m. – Lil’s Something Cool Cocktail Lounge, 8022-24 S. Cottage, celebrates.

6:30 p.m. – IVI-IPO Inaugural Party at Lake and Union Grill, 666 W. Lake.

6:30 p.m. Leadership Academy Inaugural Dinner and Celebration at Oak Park and River Forest High School.

7 p.m. THERE Lounge, 8235 S. Ashland, rings in the new administration.

7 p.m. Milton Township Democrats hold a No-Hunger Ball — admission
with a bag of nonperishable groceries for the Milton Township Food
Pantry — at the Theosophical Society, 1926 N. Main, Wheaton.

7 p.m. – Veterans celebrate at the Montford Point Marine Association, 7011 S. Vincennes.

Immigrants gather to watch an immigrant’s son sworn in at Casa
Michoacan, 1683 S. Blue Island, starting at 9 a.m. Groups participating
include the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights,
CONFEMEX (the federation of Mexican hometown associations), Federacion
de Clubes Michoacanos and SEIU. (ICIRR members are also participating
in an national immigration rights mobilization in Washington D.C. on
January 21.)

Seniors Rock Pioneer Gardens and Pioneer Village Senior Homes
in Bronzeville holds “a celebration that many did not expect in their
lifetimes; some residents are 80 and 90 years old. Balloons, noise
makers, patriotic top hats, flags, music, food, Obama attire,
red-white-and-blue punch…We will rock the house.” 3800 S. King, 11
a.m. 708-533-6558 (or dmebain@aol.com)

Writers Congress Twenty poets read from works published in the
new anthology, “Writers Congress: Chicago Poets on Barack Obama’s
Inauguration,” published by the Poetry Institute at the Depaul University Humanities Center. DePaul Student Center, 2250 N. Sheffield, 6 p.m.

Salim Muwakkil lectures at the East-West University with a
provocative topic: “President Barack Obama: Progressive Pragmatist or
Political Dupe?” at 7 p.m. (reception at 6:30) at EWU, 816 S. Michigan,
fourth floor auditorium.

Sounds of Hope The Morse Theatre holds an inaugural celebration featuring jazz supervocalist Dee Alexander starting at 6:30 p.m. — and at 7:30, the premier of “Sounds of Hope” by Chicago-based Uruguayan composer Elbio Barilari and renowned percussionist and bandleader Kahil El Zabar.
The 45-minute jazz composition, which features 20 musicians,
“represents a new time of hope” as well as “the structure we need to
reach our future, a structure made out of diverse elements, a
reflection of our society, and the capability of improvising new
solutions and new visions,” according to the composers. (Read Howard Reich’s preview). Admission is free.

Localize your experience with twitters throughout the day on January 20, 2009 by Ben Calhoun and Natalie Moore who will be in Washington for the inauguration.