ARKANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) - The mayor of a south-central Kansas
town is apologizing for appearing in blackface as part of a
fundraiser.

Arkansas City Mayor Mel Kuhn won the drag queen beauty contest in which he not only appeared in blackface but also
used sexually suggestive slang for his character's name. The
contest was part of a fundraiser held over the weekend by the Court
Appointed Special Advocates, which supports foster children.

Kuhn's apology came after a meeting Wednesday night with the
National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. The
apology, posted on the group's Web site, said it was shortsighted
of Kuhn not to see how offensive his actions were in the first
place.

The mayor previously had defended himself to the local paper,
The Arkansas City Traveler, saying he did not care what people
thought.