Long Island students, New Jersey women head to DC for history, protests
BABYLON, Long Island (WABC) -- Men, women and children from across the Tri-State Area are gearing up for a trip to Washington, D.C., for the inauguration of the 45th president of the United States.
But while all will witness history as Donald Trump takes the oath of office, many are headed to the nation's capitol for different reasons.
As the finishing touches are being put on the festivities, some students from Long Island are getting ready to hop on buses to make a once-in-a-lifetime journey.
History students from Babylon High School will leave Thursday morning as part of a trip that was organized in the fall, before the election. They will take in the memorials, monuments and museums during the four-day, three-night visit, paid for by the students themselves.
The school also participated in a mock election, which Trump won, increasing the level of excitement for the 30 students headed to Washington.
The day after the inauguration is another huge event, with organizers expecting as many as 200,000 participants at the Women's March on Washington. And more than 13,000 from New Jersey have signed up to make the trip.
Now, groups are scrambling to find transportation for them.
Organizers of the event on Wednesday announced the performance lineup, which includes Janelle Monae, Maxwell, Angelique Kidjo, Mary Chapin Carpenter, the Indigo Girls, MC Lyte, Samantha Ronson, Toshi Reagon and Emily Wells.
"I am honored to join this critical movement to bring justice and equality to all," Monae said in a statement. "Music has always been a powerful tool for galvanizing unity and I believe that singing and standing together, our voices will be stronger than any force that tries to repress us."
Organizers say entertainers including Questlove, Grimes, Neko Case, Rakim and Lila Downs are joining the march's "artist table" to support the event at the U.S. capital and the 200 planned "sister marches" around the country. Actress America Ferrera was previously announced as the chair of the artists' group.
