Georgians Ready for Inauguration Festivities

Thousands of Georgians have made the trek to Washington D.C. to take-in today’s Inauguration events. Last night, about a thousand people attended a ball put on by the Georgia State Society.

Among some Georgia-connected names in D.C. today--the Reverand Joseph Lowery. He will deliver the benediction at today's Inauguration. Lowery is the co-founder of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and retired pastor of Atlanta’s Cascade United Methodist Church.

Across Georgia, there will be viewing parties and events for the Inauguration. Those include in Plains. Some of the people who once helped Jimmy Carter win the nation's highest office are gathering in Carter's hometown. The Jimmy Carter National Historic Site is hosting a special Inaugural Day event at the Plains High School Museum/Visitor Center.

Complete Inauguration coverage can be heard on the Georgia Public Broadcasting radio network. You can also get updates anytime by going to our website: gpb.org

Georgia hosts U.S. Social Forum

Starting today several thousand people are in Atlanta to kick off the first-ever United States Social Forum. Attendees will attend workshops on traditionally liberal causes ranging from racial justice to immigration to globalization. The event mirrors the World Social Forum, organized in response to the G8 Summit. The Reverend Joseph Lowery, former president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, welcomed participants to Atlanta. In a fiery speech outside the state Capitol today, he accused the United States of "putting corporate greed above social need."