Philadelphia, PA (AP) – Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney has warned residents he will end the city’s annual Mummers Parade if organizers don’t curtail participants’ inappropriate behavior, including blackface.
Kenney’s spokesperson says the mayor sent a letter Tuesday to the organizers of the four Mummers divisions and requested they meet with officials following another blackface controversy at this year’s event.
The New Year’s Day parade has a long history of racially and socially offensive displays. The parade features ornate costumes and musical performances and attracts thousands of spectators each year.
