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After the fireworks display, the Rex
captain, in glittering silver regalia, extended, on
behalf of Rex, greetings to Queen Zulu and her entourage.
He presented Rogers with a bouquet of yellow roses, a Rex
lady's pin and a silver doubloon specially struck in her
honor. The Zulu officials, for their part, received
copies of the Rex organization's Mardi Gras 2000
poster—a limited-edition lithograph formally know as
the “proclamation”—which depicted the Rex
captain riding a white horse down St. Charles in the Rex
parade. Rogers and Moorehead, in turn, presented gifts to
the captain for Rex; among them was a special Zulu
coconut.
 Zulu King
float with Roy Glapion portrait
By voting
unanimously to let the city councilman
and former Zulu president reign postumously,
the Zulus honored one of his dying wishes.
Photo © 2000 Dan
Allen
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Rex made a final bow, and shortly
thereafter, Marcia Ball and her band took the
stage and proceeded to stir up a rollicking
musical gumbo that, much to the delight of the
assembled revelers, included a rousing rendition
of a song made famous by Professor Longhair:
“Go to the Mardi Gras.”
Making
the best of a difficult situation, the Zulus
paraded on Fat Tuesday without a monarch. The
king's float featured a large portrait of Glapion
painted by one of the city's top float artists,
Manuel Ponce. Behind the portrait, mounted on the
throne, was the mantel, or collarpiece, that
Glapion was to have worn. His crown and scepter
rested on a pillow on the seat of the throne.
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 Queen Zulu
2000: Desireé Glapion Rogers
Having
previously reigned in 1988,
this was her second time carrying the scepter.
Photo © 2000 Dan
Allen
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An enthusiastic throng, enjoying
picture-perfect weather, was on hand to greet the
34-float procession (theme: “Zulu Enters the
New Millennium 2000”). At the Gallier Hall
reviewing stand, the mayor's mother, Sybil
Morial, saluted Rogers: “You bring beauty
and brains and grace to Mardi Gras today, and we
are delighted to toast you. Hail Queen
Zulu!” Mayor
Morial once again rode with the Buffalo Soldiers,
an equine unit in the Zulu parade. (Buffalo
Soldiers was the nickname given to members of
African-American regiments who served in the
western U.S. in the late 1800s, mainly fighting
Indians on the frontier.) Donning 19th century
U.S. Army cavalry regalia, he toasted the King of
Carnival at Gallier Hall:
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| “And we say to you that all of
your subjects and all of our constituents and the
people of the city and the visitors to the city
are happier than ever, as you have the very
special opportunity to preside over what history
will record as the biggest and best Mardi Gras
celebration of all time.” Rex, a
glass of champagne in hand, returned the toast:
“I send warm greetings to you and the city
council, and particularly your mother, and want
to express my thanks and appreciation to all of
you and the city employees who have contributed
so much to a safe and fun Carnival for all of our
citizens and all of our visitors.”
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Mayor Marc
Morial in Buffalo Soldier regalia,
with reveler Dana duTerriol
After
dispensing with his official ceremonial
duties, the mayor took in some of the action on
Frenchmen St. in Foubourg Marigny—a hot spot
for "alternative" Mardi Gras where
Dionysian
tribes and funsters gather to play drums,
shake booty and revel in the spirit of the day.
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Seated in
the reviewing stand at Hotel Inter-Continental was the
Queen of Carnival, Dorothy “Dottee” Dupuy. The
28-float Rex parade, which depicted the theme
“Ancient Empires,” stopped there so that his
majesty, in accordance with tradition, could toast his
queen and present her with a bouquet in the traditional
Rex (and Mardi Gras) colors of purple, green and gold. next
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