For Inaugural, Obama Faithful Say It's Washington or Bust

• NOVEMBER 8, 2008

WASHINGTON -- Well before Barack Obama vaulted ahead in pre-election polls, Donnette Dunbar and her husband, Larry English, were making plans to attend the Presidential inauguration. So back in June, the couple bought train tickets and booked hotel accommodations in Washington, D.C.: $700 for one night at the Red Roof Inn downtown.

"We want to be among that sea of people just basking in the flow of change," says Ms. Dunbar, co-owner of a New York public-relations firm. "I said to my husband, 'What price is history?' And he said, 'Book the darn room.' "

Donnette Dunbar

The couple is part of a groundswell of African-Americans determined to get to Washington on Jan. 20 to be part of an event many thought they'd never witness. Many are vowing to make the trip in the absence of solid plans -- such as where they can sleep, or how they might score tickets to the inauguration and the balls and parties leading up to the big day. Residents of the nation's capital, meanwhile, are readying their homes for an influx of out-of-town guests.

"I think the trek to Washington, D.C.,>>>