Once Barack Obama was elected the nation’s 44th President, Prairie View students immediately went to work to find a way to be in attendance during the Jan. 20 inauguration. The first plan that was drawn up was a roundtrip bus ride to Washington, D.C. Then doors opened up for the students to take a plane, and from there the rest was history. . .literally.
The trip came with a hefty $400 per student price tag, but to be a part of history, it was priceless. Forty-five students and five chaperones made their way to the east coast, all in the name of Prairie View A&M University. Due to the historic weekend, flights were filling up fast. The lack of seats forced the students to be broken up into two groups heading to Philadelphia.
On Jan. 18 the first group of students had to be at the MSC for the 9 a.m. departure. There they loaded up the bus, and were met by a television news crew for interviews. This trip was a first for many, their first time in D.C., Philadelphia, on a subway, and also their first time flying. The flight left at 1 p.m. in Houston, with the temperature at 70 degrees. When it touched down at 5 p.m. in Philadelphia, they were welcomed with snow and the temperature was 34 degrees. The second group left Houston at 5 p.m. and arrived in Philadelphia at 9 p.m. From the airport, the students were shuttled to the Sheraton University City Hotel where they stayed for the entire trip.
The next day was an eventful one, as the Prairie View crew toured Philadelphia. First was a subway ride to Independence Hall, where they saw where the United States Constitution and Declaration of Independence were signed, visited the Liberty Bell Museum, and the National Constitution Center. While at the NCC, the “America I AM: The African American Imprint” exhibit was in showcase. The exhibit documented African-Americans from slavery until now and examined the socio-political, spiritual, and cultural effect it has had on society. After the museum the students roamed the streets of Philadelphia and even found themselves in a massive snowball fight.
Later that night, the Prairie View crew boarded the Amtrak train and departed Philadelphia’s Union Station for D.C. at 11 p.m. Due to the magnitude of such an event, the students were informed on how many people would be there, and things that were acceptable and unacceptable to bring. Very few students found sleep during the train ride, as the adrenaline pumping through their bodies kept them awake. On the train ride to D.C. junior Jesse Sneed was finally taking it all in. “I’m just excited, I thank God for the opportunity. A lot of people wanted to go, I’m just thankful to be on the trip to see Obama sworn in as the first African-American president,” said Sneed. At 1:10 a.m. most of the Prairie View crew got off the train in New Carrollton, Md., while a few stayed on the train and met family and friends in D.C.
Those who got off in New Carrollton, were greeted by alumni and taken to the house of Dr. Johnnie Jackson, M.D, where they felt at home. While there, they ate and lounged around until it was time to head to D.C. At this time it was around 4:30 a.m., and they returned to the train station. The weather was a harsh 20 degrees. As the crew arrived in D.C. they rode the subway to L’Enfant Plaza and walked to the Capitol. The crew underestimated the number of people who were in attendance. To take refuge from the weather, they ended up in the National Museum of American History. The students fought tirelessly through the weather and temptation of sleep, all to experience the moment. Some students went to the frozen reflective pool, Lincoln Memorial, George Washington University, Washington Memorial, and World War Memorial. Some weathered the cold while others stayed in the warmth of the museum and had a mini-watch party. During the inauguration the students joined the crowd by chanting “O-BA-MA” and “Yes We Can,” a moment that will always be remembered. The number of people and unfamiliarity of the city did cause some confusion, but was soon cleared up.
Immediately after the inauguration, the Panthers headed toward the D.C.’s Union Station to catch the first thing smoking to enjoy the comfort of their beds. The crew left D.C. at 6 p.m. and arrived in Philadelphia at 8 p.m. They fought the weather, illness, sore feet, numb body parts, all to witness history. Once back at the hotel the students gained a new and deeper sense of camaraderie and friendship. In the hotel they reviewed the day, and each moment all ended in laughter. Friendships were created, strengthened, and deepened.
Senior Bruce Robinson was just another who was in awe. Robinson said, “It was so surreal, nothing I imagined. Being in history, it’s almost impossible to grasp everything right now. We’re in the moment right now, once we step out of it, we’ll feel it more.”
On the last day of the trip, the students went to the African-American Museum of Philadelphia and other sites across the city including the famous steps that Sylvester Stallone made famous in the Rocky films.
Early Thursday morning the entire group left the hotel at 3 a.m. to catch their 5:25 a.m. flight to Houston. Their flight touched down at 8 a.m. and it was the long commute back to campus, which officially brought the trip to an end.
During the trip, students met people from all across the world, all walks of life, traveling thousands of miles by train, plane, bus, and even walking to see one moment in history, Barack Obama sworn in as President of the United States of America.