Barrios' waiting is over, WBCA announces Marshals for Parades



How am I going to answer my Cell ?



There was a sense of electricity throughout Laredo's barrios earlier today as the WBCA announced the Grand Marshals for the Anheuser Busch Grand Parade as well as for the Youth Parade. With the Dallas Cowboys and the Texas Longhorns having an off year, many barrio residents have turned to speculating about the WBCA, the Marthas Ball and other Laredo traditions steeped in barrio lore. As it turns out, Texas Railroad Commissioner Elizabeth Ames will be the Grand Marshall for the Big parade. The community of St. John brothers was selected as the Marshal for the smaller, Youth Parade.

The attitude of barrio residents has shifted almost 180 degrees from the 1970s. During that era, some  TAMIU (then Texas A&I-Laredo) professors led protests against the irrelevance and elitism of the WBCA. Today, almost all Laredoans wear the pride they feel for the WBCA as a badge of honor. Pull up to any gasolinera or walk into any Dollar General store and you will immediately hear the buzz about  the Marshals, the Marthas' Debutante Balls and of course, about who those Abrazo kids will be. One lady waiting to pay at a local Family Dollar store spoke for many when she exclaimed  "Lo que me encanta de los ninos del Abrazo es que nos representan a todos nosotros!". Hear , Hear!