WASHINGTON, D.C. - JANUARY 20: Ben Cox, one of the original 13 Freedom Riders who rode buses across the South to protest segregation, listens to a replay of Barack Obama's inaugural speech as he gets dressed January 20, 2009 to attend the People's Inaugural Ball. Cox was invited to Washington from Memphis, Tennessee by Virginia businessman Earl W. Stafford and his non-profit foundation, who together paid $1.6 million USD, so those who wouldn't normally have an opportunity to participate in...
more »WASHINGTON, D.C. - JANUARY 20: Ben Cox, one of the original 13 Freedom Riders who rode buses across the South to protest segregation, listens to a replay of Barack Obama's inaugural speech as he gets dressed January 20, 2009 to attend the People's Inaugural Ball. Cox was invited to Washington from Memphis, Tennessee by Virginia businessman Earl W. Stafford and his non-profit foundation, who together paid $1.6 million USD, so those who wouldn't normally have an opportunity to participate in the festivities would get a chance to celebrate. With the help of non-profits and social service groups nationwide, including the National Urban League, some 300 people, among them the homeless, unemployed, war veterans, and those who have worked to help the less fortunate were brought to Washington D.C. to attend a specially organized ball, all-expenses paid at the JW Marriott Hotel, a luxury hotel near the White House.
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