The moment we've been waiting for...

IT'S TIME.

Today, Barack Obama will place his hand on the Lincoln Bible and be sworn in as the 44th president of the United States, the first African-American to achieve the highest office in the land.

Millions are expected to flood Washington, D.C., to witness Obama's oath on the steps of the U.S. Capitol. The elaborate ceremony will include a performance by soul legend Aretha Franklin, an address by televangelist Rick Warren and a speech from the new commander in chief.

"It's one of those moments you want to be a part of," said Philadelphia NAACP President J. Whyatt Mondesire, who is attending with his two grown children. "People are taking buses, planes, trains, helicopters, sled dogs - they're going."

After the swearing-in, supporters will wait to catch a glimpse of the Obamas during an afternoon parade along Pennsylvania Avenue.

Lucky invitees will get gussied up for the 10 official inaugural balls tonight - including one for Pennsylvania and Delaware, hosted by Joe Biden, who by then will be the new vice president.

"There's a real sense of anticipation because of the hopefulness of his presidency," said Sen. Bob Casey, D-Pa. "It's going to be a great day."

To many, Obama's election is a sign of a fresh start - for both White House leadership and race relations.

"Everyone in America should view it as a step for change," said Demetrius Robinson, 39, a teacher and father of three who lives in Camden. "The world is viewing how America has accepted Barack Obama, a person of color, into the White House." Robinson will watch the inauguration from a Camden bookstore.

Excitement was palpable in Washington yesterday as travelers converged for the inauguration.

"I never thought in my life that I would see this," said Jolene Jeff, 66, of New Orleans, as she stood inside Union Station with friends and family. She said she had come in memory of her parents and brother, "because they endured through segregation and fought for rights for everybody."

Ashley Jones, 22, a graduate student in New York who was raised in Wilmington, Del., said she didn't want to be anywhere else.

"I think our grandchildren will be asking about this," Jones said. And with Delaware's Biden poised to become vice president today, she said, "It's a great time to be from Delaware."

Near the U.S. Capitol, preparations for the swearing-in ceremony were nearing completion yesterday. Chairs were neatly lined up on the lawn and giant JumboTron screens were set up near the steps where Obama will take the oath of office.

Washington, of course, has also been the site of many key moments in the nation's march toward racial equality. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his famous "I Have a Dream" speech in 1963 on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. In 1939, singer Marian Anderson performed on those same steps after the Daughters of the American Revolution barred her from singing in Constitution Hall.

Mayor Nutter, who will attend the swearing-in with his wife and daughter, said he didn't want to miss today's momentous event.

"This is a great moment in American history and to be alive and watching it and participating in it to some extent is something that people will be talking about hundreds of years from now," Nutter said. "This is one of those things you're just glad to be there."

Those who can't make it to Washington will be able to watch the events on TV.

"We will be glued to the television set," said the Rev. Albert F. Campbell, pastor of Mount Carmel Baptist Church in West Philadelphia, who will be watching from a convention in Nashville, Tenn. "He [Obama] is a symbol of hope for America and for the world."

Obama's rise to fame skyrocketed after the first-term senator's rousing speech at the 2004 Democratic Convention. The night he won the presidency, people of all ages in Philadelphia and across the world danced in the streets.

"I have a 1-year-old daughter who can say Barack Obama more clearly than many adults," said Robinson of Camden. "[My children] see someone again who looks like their next-door neighbor, who looks like me in the White House." *

The Associated Press contributed to this report