Butter Meet Bread. . .

The NAACP chapter of Alabama, when not chasing ambulances or white cop on black suspect injustice, is always looking out for black people and something to rattle the rusty chains of the past about.

Today, they found it.

Smart, beautiful women dressed in 150 year old dresses are racist. Clearly.

Unfortunately for the backward looking NAACP, the rest of the planet has agreed to move on from slavery and the victimization game that the NAACP and black leaders like Farrakhan, Jackson and Sharpton like to play.

A comment from "Marie of Mobile" at the WSFA website sums up the ridiculousness of the charge by the NAACP:

To clarify a few things, our future President Obama's team chose these worthy young ladies for the parade as part of their "Lincoln theme". They weren't chosen by anyone in our state to represent us. On another point, hoop skirts weren't exclusive to "the South". They were worn by ladies of northern states as well. They were indicative of an era, not an area. As for the colorful adornments on each costume, those were & are embellishments meant to represent Mobile's azaleas.

As a first generation Mobilian as well as first generation non-hyphenated American of Caribbean ethnicity, I've met racism and bigotry on more than one occasion in my sixty odd years. Be they black or white, it seldom if ever came from locals. However, bigotry against Southerners is gleefully condoned and promoted by media, Hollywood and one particular political party.

With one minor change, will reiterate my previous post in the hope of enlightening a few fellow citizens:
Racists exist everywhere...not just in "the South". However, in "the South", greater strides have been made to change hearts & minds than in many other places. It is far more difficult, and therefore far more redeeming, to reform one's heart and behavior than it is to have never been caught in the sin.

"Back in the day", my sister-in-law was chosen from the best & the brightest to be an Azalea Trail Maid. The young ladies were & are chosen on the basis of scholarship, achievment, etc. These young women deserve to honor their new president as much as anyone else. Only a bigot would maintain otherwise.

Furthermore, to quote the Mobile County Commission, "The Trail Maids have been ambassadors for Mobile County for almost 60 years. Competition to become a Trail Maid is extremely selective with only the brightest, most accomplished girls being chosen"..."Mobile is a place that strives to be inclusive and represent the needs of all citizens. The City of Mobile has a majority white population but has a popular African-American mayor"..."22% of the current Trail Maids are minority. How sad it would be if these girls especially were denied the opportunity to witness history as Barack Obama is inaugurated as our 44th president". Twenty two percent...hmmm, let's see the House of Representatives, the Senate or the NAACP match that statistic. Welcome to Mobile & happy Twenty First Century, ya'll!

Amen Marie, well said.