State NAACP President Edward Vaughn claims it will remind Black folks of slavery, or something.
"Vaughn suggested that the Trail Maids' costumes — hoop dresses with matching bonnets and parasols — reflect the state's slavery past and have no place at the inauguration of the first African-American president, Barack Obama.
This year's Trail Maids include eight black members, two maids of Indian descent, one Asian and 39 whites, said Andy Marasca, president of the group. Marasca said he learned of Vaughn's concerns from local media.
"I wish it wasn't an issue," Marasca said, referring to Vaughn's comments.
Mobile County commissioners, who at their Monday meeting will discuss contributing to the Trail Maids, said they were disappointed by Vaughn's criticism.
"The Trail Maids do not represent the Confederacy or antebellum times but reflect the beauty of Mobile and its 300-plus years of fascinating history," commissioners said in a statement.
The first Trail Maid court was formed in 1949, according to the group's Web site.
Marasca said that despite Vaughn's comments, the Trail Maids plan to march in the parade and continue to raise money for the trip."
Krykee doodle. Welcome to the really, really thin skinned Obama Nation.
