Mardi Gras Kings to Make History

In the latest symbol of slowly eroding social and racial barriers in New Orleans, a middle-aged white businessman in gaudy gold crown and page-boy wig intends to exchange formal greetings with a black Mardi Gras king on the waterfront. The formal meeting scheduled for tonight is believed to be the first for the two make-believe monarchs: Rex, King of Carnival, whose secretive, high-society organization dates back to 1872, and King Zulu of the Zulu Social Aid and Pleasure Club, founded in 1909. The meeting is part of a show heralding Lundi Gras, or Fat Monday, a warmup for Mardi Gras.