DURHAM, N.C.  – More than 100 people from Raleigh, Durham and as far as Jacksonville, N.C. will be watching Barack Obama’s inauguration at the Four Points by Sheraton in Durham on Jan. 20.

The luncheon, titled “Inauguration 2009, Our History Now,” will include food, social commentary and spoken word. The Triangle alumni chapter of Iota Phi Theta Fraternity, Inc. and the Cary alumni chapter of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. are sponsoring the event.

This historic gathering will take place from noon to 4 p.m. at the Four Points by Sheraton, located at 7807 Leonardo Drive in Durham. The hotel is located near the corner of N.C. 751 and Renaissance Parkway, which is close to The Streets at Southpoint Mall.

“This gathering will allow Triangle professionals to watch this historic event in a mature and relaxed setting without the cold, crowds and inconvenience of being in the nation’s capital,” said Andre McDowell, event co-organizer.

McDowell, like many in the Triangle, aren’t able to go to Washington D.C. but wanted to do more than watch the inauguration from home. He said organizers are already receiving strong responses from people who initially planned on going to Washington D.C. but were discouraged by the cost.

Representatives from both organizations and attendees will be available for interviews.

Attendees are purchasing tickets by contacting a member of either organization or by going to www.ourhistorynow.com. Tickets are $20.

For more information, please contact Nakiva McDowell at (919) 744-1392 or at ourhistorynow@hotmail.com.
About Iota Phi Theta:
Iota Phi Theta Fraternity, Inc., with over 30,000 members, has become one of the premier organizations for African-American men. Iota Phi Theta is a non-profit organization that abides by the principles of scholarship, leadership, citizenship, fidelity and brotherhood. Founded in 1963, Iota Phi Theta has grown to over 200 chapters across the globe, including chapters at N.C. Central University, Shaw University and N.C. State University. The Triangle chapter of Iota Phi Theta, Alpha Epsilon Omega, is the fraternity’s 2007-08 Eastern Region Alumni Chapter of the Year. For more information on Alpha Epsilon Omega, please go to www.triangleiotas.org.

About Sigma Gamma Rho:
Based out of Cary, Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. continues to be a dynamic organization for African-American women. Founded in 1922, Sigma Gamma Rho has grown to over 90,000 members and over 500 chapters throughout the world. The sorority’s national programs include Operation Big Book Bag, which gives school supplies to needy children, and the Sigma Youth Symposium, which addresses youth issues. Locally, the Cary chapter, Theta Lambda Sigma, conducts an annual “Kwanzaa Wine & Cheese” and their “Caring Days” health initiative. For more information on Theta Lambda Sigma, please go to www.carysgrho.org.