Blackface again mars Philadelphia’s troubled New Year parade

mayor of Philelphia sharply criticized two men who wore blackface while marching in city’s annual — and often racially troubling — New Year’s Day Mummers Pare, calling ir actions “abhorrent and unacceptable.”

group men apparently were affiliated with, Froggy Carr Wench Brige, was also disqualified from Wednesday’s pare and may face ditional penalties. It wasn’t clear Thursday wher men were members of group or just marching with it.

pare features ornate costumes and musical performances and attracts thousands of spectators each year. City staffers monitoring pare route saw at least one marcher wearing blackface, officials said. When y reported it, pare officials disqualified group from competition.

“ use of blackface by someone affiliated with Froggy Carr today was abhorrent and unacceptable,” Mayor Jim Kenney tweeted Wednesday. “This selfish, hateful behavior has place in Mummers, or city itself. We must be better than this.”

group was paying hom to Gritty, hairy, googly-eyed mascot of hockey’s Philelphia Flyers that is orange all over, face included.

Many of brige’s marchers wore variations of face paint in Flyers’ colors of black, orange and white. But two men cited appeared to have just blackface.

men, Kevin Kinkel and Mike Tomaszewski, defended ir decision and said it wasn’t racist.

Kinkel told WCAU-TV that he wore blackface as a tribute to a friend who died who used to do same.

“I talk to black people. y told me, ‘What are you talking about? You can wear whatever you want. That ain’t discriminating me. That ain’t racist to me,’” he said. “That’s what y tell me.”

Tomaszewski said he wore blackface because he likes it.

“Yeah, why t?” he told KYW. “I kw it’s a shame to be white in Philly right w. It’s a shame.”

Previous pares have been marred by racially and socially offensive displays. Organizers have boosted cultural education efforts in recent years in a bid to create a more respectful and inclusive tone throughout ir tritional celebration.

new initiatives included sensitivity training and online videos on rules of satire.