Mummers Addressing New Year's Day Parade Blackface Controversy

Howard Monroe reports.

LIVE TONIGHT FROM PORTRICHMOND DAN KOOB FOR CBS-3"EYEWITNESS NEWS".THE MUMMERS ARE ADDRESSINGTHE BLACK FACE CONTROVERSYTHAT HAPPENED AT THEIR NEWYEARS DAY PARADE IT COMES ASTHEY PREPARE FOR THEIRUPCOMING MARDI GRAS SHOW."EYEWITNESS NEWS" REPORTERHOWARD MONROE IS LIVE WITH THEMUMMERS REACTION TODAY,HOWARD.REPORTER: MAYOR KENNEYTHREAT TONE SHUT DOWN MUMMERSNEW YEARS DAY PARADE IF THESEBLACK FACE ISSUES ARE NOTADDRESSED AND REPRESENTATIVESWITH THE MUMMERS SAID THEYHEARD MAYOR'S THREATS LOUD ANDCLEAR.♪♪REPORTER: MUMMERS STRINGBAND ASSOCIATION IS PREPARINGFOR THEIR UPCOMING MARDI GRASSHOW BUT BEFORE THEY CAN MOVEON THEY ARE ADDRESSING THEPAST.OVER 10,000 MARCHERS ON NEWYEARS DAY, TWO PEOPLE DID ADEPLORABLE DISGUSTING ACT THATUNFORTUNATELY IS REFLECTEDUPON REST OF THAWS MARCHREPORT RORRER BACK JANUARY 1ST2 PEOPLE REPRESENTING THEFROGGY CARD CLUB SHOWED UP INBLACK FACE AND MEN INSISTEDTHAT THEY WERE NOT IN BLACKFACE BUT RESULTED IN THE CLUBBEING DISQUALIFIED FROMCOMPETITION.IT ALSO RESULTED IN MAYORKENNEY THREATENING TO SHUTDOWN THE PARADE IF THE BLACKFACE ISSUES WERE NOTADDRESSED.YOU KNOW THIS ISN'T A JOKE.WE'RE SERIOUS.WE HEAR WHAT THE MAYOR SAIDAND WE WILL ADDRESS IT ANDMAKE IT WORK.REPORTER: AT MAYOR'SREQUEST STRING BANDASSOCIATION AND OTHER MUMMERSGROUPS HELD A MEET TO GOADDRESS THE ISSUE.THEY LET WITH COUNCIL MEMBERSCINDY BASS AND MARK SQUILLA.I'M HAPPY.THE MUMMERS STEPPED UP ANDTAKEN OWNERSHIP OF IT.HOPEFULLY THAT WILL CONTINUEAS THIS MOVES FORWARD.REPORTER: STRING BANDASSOCIATION SAYS NONE OF THEIRMEMBERS SHOWED UP IN BLACKFACE BUT AS THEY PREPARE FORANOTHER SHOW, THEY SAY THATBLACK FACE WON'T BE TOLERATED.MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS INTHE OTHER DIVISIONS ARE ALSOADDRESSING THIS TO THE BEST OFTHEIR ABILITY TO ENSURE THATIT NEVER HAPPENS AGAIN.REPORTER: MAYOR'S OFFICESAID TODAY THAT THEY HAVEPRODUCTIVE MEETINGS, WITH THEMUMMERS, AND HAVE MOREMEETINGS THAT ARE NOW BEINGPLANNED.AS FOR MARDI GRAS IT IS SETFOR SUNDAY FEBRUARY 23RD.