Cokley was the only person from Surry County to be selected to receive an inaugural ticket from the office of Rep. Virginia Foxx through a random drawing held recently to allocate tickets it received for the event.
Each member of Congress got 198 tickets to distribute among constituents, who filled out an online request form to become part of the drawing. There are 12 counties in Foxx’s legislative district.
“I think it’s a honor,” Cokley, 38, said Saturday afternoon of his selection for the lone ticket allocated by the Fifth District congressional office for Surry. The historic event to inaugurate the nation’s first African-American president, Barack Obama, will be held on the morning of Jan. 20 on the West Capitol grounds.
“I didn’t really think I would get selected,” added the 1988 graduate of East Surry High School, who later received a degree from the University of North Carolina. “I just took a chance.”
Cokley, who was born and raised in Pilot Mountain, recently has split time between an address there and Alexandria in Northern Virginia, where he is an attorney. Cokley’s parents, Angelo and Elma Cokley, live in Pilot Mountain and he still votes there.
While Cokley appreciates his opportunity to witness history during the upcoming 56th Presidential Inauguration, he’s also looking forward to honoring his parents by his attendance. He explained that his mother is from Mississippi and his father was born and raised in Surry County, and each endured the discrimination of the 1940s and 1950s leading to the Martin Luther King Jr./civil-rights era of the 1960s.
“They never thought they would see the day when someone of color would lead this nation,” said Cokley.
During an emotional Election Night on Nov. 4, Cokley talked back and forth by telephone to his parents from his second home in Northern Virginia. When Obama proved victorious, the possibility of attending the inauguration was discussed among them.
While that event is something his parents normally would love to take in because they were so moved by what transpired in the election, Cokley explained that his mother has been experiencing health problems that would make such a trip difficult.
He promised his parents that he would try to go in their place, if he could get a ticket, which is exactly what will happen. “I feel like I’m carrying them across the finish line, so to speak,” Cokley added of his mother and father.
Politically, however, Cokley admits that he has “mixed emotions” about the inauguration. “I’m pretty conservative,” he explained, which is in contrast to the liberal leanings of Obama. “From that standpoint, I’m somewhat happy,” Cokley joked concerning the opportunity to attend.
“I’m not as happy as a lot of liberals.”
Another thing that the Pilot Mountain man must contend with on Jan. 20 will be the huge crowds anticipated in Washington for the inauguration, which could approach 2 million people. This includes those in the ticketed area of the event and many more who’ll inhabit the National Mall for a chance at a glimpse of history.
“On a normal day, traffic in and out of the city is almost unbearable,” said Cokley, who added that local television stations have been broadcasting advisories recently on how people should deal with the congestion on Inauguration Day. Citizens have been told to stay out of Washington altogether that Tuesday unless they work there, and those who must venture into the city are being urged to leave home at 4 a.m.
The public also is being encouraged to use the Metro, the area’s public transportation system, that day as much as possible, to help lessen clogging of highways. Those who don’t have tickets are being told to stay home and monitor the event on TV, Cokley continued.
Even people with tickets will encounter what is expected to be an unprecedented level of security for an inauguration.
Yet despite all that, Michael Cokley eagerly is anticipating the event and is thankful to Rep. Foxx’s office for choosing him. “I’m very humbled and very appreciative,” he said.
“From my perspective, I’m most happy for my parents.”
Contact Tom Joyce at tjoyce@mtairynews.com, or at 719-1924.
Post a Comment
