GA high school has its first racially integrated prom

[Dr. Zaius 0]

Students attend school's first integrated prom

Story Highlights

• Students of Turner County High School voted to have school-sponsored prom

• In the past, parents have organized private, segregated dances

• Principal Chad Stone says the official prom will become a yearly event

• Senior Class President James Hall led the movement for the integrated prom

 

By Kristi Keck

CNN

ASHBURN, Georgia (CNN) -- Students of Turner County High School started what they hope will become a new tradition: Black and white students attended the prom together for the first time on Saturday.

 

In previous years, parents had organized private, segregated dances for students of the school in rural Ashburn, Georgia, 160 miles south of Atlanta.

 

"Whites always come to this one and blacks always go to this one," said Lacey Adkinson, a 14-year-old freshman at the school of 455 students -- 55 percent black, 43 percent white.

 

"It's always been a tradition since my daddy was in school to have the segregated ones, and this year we're finally getting to try something new," she said.

 

Adkinson's sister, Mindy Bryan, attended a segregated prom in 2001.

 

"There was not anybody that I can remember that was black," she said. "The white people have theirs, and the black people have theirs. It's nothing racial at all."

 

Breaking away from traditions

But this year's upperclassmen -- 213 students total --voted to have just one official prom.

 

"It's been a dream of all of ours," Senior Class President James Hall said.

 

"We didn't want to put emphasis on integrated blacks and whites coming together. We just wanted to put emphasis on this was our first school prom," Principal Chad Stone said.

 

The theme of the first official prom: Breakaway.

 

"It was fitting already because we are breaking away from the past traditions here in Turner County School," Hall said.

 

Another tradition that ended this year -- having two separate homecoming queens.

 

"You pick the homecoming queen for their personalities and being a role model," explained Roshunda Pierce, 16, as she waited to get her nails done for prom.

 

In the past, two queens were chosen -- one white, one black.

 

But not everyone in the town of 4,400, famous for its peanuts and Fire Ant Festival, was breaking with the past.

 

The "white prom" still went on last week.

 

"We did everything like a regular prom just because we had already booked it," said, Cheryl Nichols, 18, who attended the dance.

 

Nichole Royal, 18, said black students could have gone to the prom, but didn't.

 

"I guess they feel like they're not welcome," she said.

 

Nichols said while her parents were in support of the integrated prom, some of her friends weren't allowed to go.

 

"If they're not coming tonight it's because either they had to work and they couldn't get out of it or because their parents are still having an issue because they grew up in south Georgia," she said.

 

"I've asked, 'Why can't you come?' and they're like, 'My mommy and daddy -- they don't agree with being with the colored people,' which I think is crazy," she said.

 

Stone said he doesn't plan to stop the private proms.

 

"That's going to be up to the parents. That's part of being in America. If they want to do that for the kids, then that's fine," he said.

 

Looking toward the future

Outside the prom on Saturday, parents and relatives of students talked as the students filed into the Turner Civic Center.

 

"If they are picking so much for it to be united, why was there a prom last week for the white, when they are supposed to be united for tonight?" asked Lisa Hall.

 

Valerie McKellar echoed that sentiment as she watched white and black students pose together.

 

"That is so fake. There is nothing real about that," she said.

 

"That's just like you're cooking a half-baked cake, putting the icing on it, and when you cut the cake, the cake ain't no good. That's how this prom is," she said.

 

McKellar said the prom was a good step, but more needs to be done.

 

"There is a time and season for all things, and right now it's time for Turner County to make a change."

 

A success in the students' eyes

Inside the auditorium, students put the controversy aside and danced for hours. Stone said he was pleased with the outcome. About 150 students, including some dates from other schools, attended.

 

Students leaving the prom praised the evening.

 

"We been separated for a while. I sure appreciate how the school got all of us together, and we had a blast" said John Holmes, 16.

 

Aneisha Gipson, who was crowned prom queen, said the night could not have been better.

 

"Amazing. It was absolutely amazing. It was perfect."

 

Superintendent Ray Jordan said he couldn't be more proud of Stone and his students.

 

"If I could write this story it would be a story of celebration of students making a difference for themselves and for future students. I believe they wanted to leave their mark, and I certainly believe they've done that."

http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/04/23/turner.prom/index.html

 

Now, if they could just take care of that "Colored only" restroom, they'd be all set.

[Hasbeen1 0]

Yeah, that's much different than black student organizations at colleges, black dorms, primarily or nearly all black colleges, black scholarships and the UNCF.

[Art Sandusky 0]

...

[vivalaultra 0]

I like the term 'colored people'. It's so quaint. That stuff like this is still going on is just weird to me. I mean, I grew up in small-town America where there was a good degree of racism, but seperate proms? In 2007? That just seems so anachronistic. How people in the 21st century can support things like that and think that it's the right way to do things just boggles the mind.

[Art Sandusky 0]

This wasn't state-sponsored segregation, by the way. All of the involved parties are responsible for the problem, since the school didn't run one as it'd have to be integrated and private parties facilitated the "need" for seperate events.

[Henry Spencer 0]

"That's just like you're cooking a half-baked cake, putting the icing on it, and when you cut the cake, the cake ain't no good. That's how this prom is," she said.

 

This quote was hilarious to me.

[Hasbeen1 0]

I didn't mean I thought all of that up until now was a good thing. I meant before blacks complain about this they should work on ending their own segregating groups and traditions. This sounds like the old "some of my best friends are" but one black man I'm fairly close with though not a good friend totally hates the NAACP, UNCF, any group that just divides as he calls it. He says there's millions out there like him, but they get no voice because of people like Jesse Jackson.

[The Niggardly King 0]

Millions out there like him?

 

Is it really hard to not see a person as just... a person. Not a representation of a whole race?

[2GOLD 0]

I want to know more about the peanuts and Fire Ant festival. It's only glossed over in the story and it sounds like such a blast for a Georgia town that probably still has residents complaining about the day Uncle Billy Sherman marched through the countryside freeing their slaves.

[In Credible 0]

fuckin hicks.

[Guest Richard McBeef]

Diary_Of_A_Madman, are you black or white? Serious question. You seem to portray yourself as one hard brother by quoting The Wire all the time and using people from The Wire as your avatars all the time, but you're also from Minnesota, so I'm confused.

[Slayer 0]

 

Racial intergration won't save the prom from awful fashion sense

[Ripper 0]

I didn't mean I thought all of that up until now was a good thing. I meant before blacks complain about this they should work on ending their own segregating groups and traditions. This sounds like the old "some of my best friends are" but one black man I'm fairly close with though not a good friend totally hates the NAACP, UNCF, any group that just divides as he calls it. He says there's millions out there like him, but they get no voice because of people like Jesse Jackson.

 

 

Yeah...fuck him for having a problem with the United Negro College Fund. And yeah all that stuff you just named is SO the same.

 

Shadup.

 

Integrated proms with black and white hicks is going to lead to the greatest emails featured bad prom outfits ever. GO FOR IT!!!

[EricMM 0]

Whatever, that email was classic, Ripper.

 

Helicopter doo?

[Guest Richard McBeef]

Come on, someone else had to read it as "first racially integrated porn" for a second.

[Ripper 0]

Whatever, that email was classic, Ripper.

 

Helicopter doo?

 

 

I am saying that it was classic. Thus adding in white hicks along with black hicks will make it twice as awsome.

 

Then there was the one where all the girls were wearing like 4 inches of fabric to make their "dresses" and all the guys were wearing crap like bright red leather tuxes....good times.

[bob_barron 0]

Who did you take to this prom, Ripper?

[Ripper 0]

Well seeing as I am almost 30 bob, I don't think I would be going to the prom. 16 year olds is more your range when it comes to targets of lust.

[Guest Richard McBeef]

AW SHIT YOU GOT RIPPED, SON

 

 

 

© koab

[EL BRUJ0 0]

Come on, someone else had to read it as "first racially integrated porn" for a second.

that's why i clicked on the thread... fuck a bunch of prom talk...

[CanadianGuitarist 0]

Come on, someone else had to read it as "first racially integrated porn" for a second.

 

You know I, er, we did.

[bobobrazil1984 0]

"There was not anybody that I can remember that was black," she said. "The white people have theirs, and the black people have theirs. It's nothing racial at all."

 

:lol:

[Guest Tzar Lysergic]

I didn't have a single black kid in my graduating class of around 450. There might have been six out of the 2500 total students. Kinda weird.

[Black Lushus 0]

Then there was the one where all the girls were wearing like 4 inches of fabric to make their "dresses" and all the guys were wearing crap like bright red leather tuxes....good times.

 

personally, I'm a fan of the NBA themed tuxedos.

 

 

 

 

no I'm not...

[2GOLD 0]

Then there was the one where all the girls were wearing like 4 inches of fabric to make their "dresses" and all the guys were wearing crap like bright red leather tuxes....good times.

 

personally, I'm a fan of the NBA themed tuxedos.

 

 

 

 

no I'm not...

 

Bright red, green, blue or other bright color suits only work on mafia bosses or old black men at churches who can make it look styling. We have a guy who wore them to every game following Friday church and he looked cool as hell.

[Ripper 0]

I refuse to believe that a bright suit ever looked cool.

[Dr. Zaius 0]

Yeah, that's much different than black student organizations at colleges, black dorms, primarily or nearly all black colleges, black scholarships and the UNCF.

Victims of racism forming organziation banding together to help each other is at least a little different than pure social exclusion.

[Hasbeen1 0]

Your last word explains why they're not different. I don't see how offering any kind of incentive to an individual race, any segregated housing or educating, should continue or why anyone who really cared about blacks would want that. Keeping the black victim mentality is what keeps the whole race behind. The things mentioned do so, they're saying blacks are owed.

[migoli 0]

Hey Mcbeef, so regardless of Madmans race what does being from Minnesota have to do with it? Are you saying there is no ghettos or whatever you want to call it in Minnesota?

[Hasbeen1 0]

I didn't mean I thought all of that up until now was a good thing. I meant before blacks complain about this they should work on ending their own segregating groups and traditions. This sounds like the old "some of my best friends are" but one black man I'm fairly close with though not a good friend totally hates the NAACP, UNCF, any group that just divides as he calls it. He says there's millions out there like him, but they get no voice because of people like Jesse Jackson.

 

 

Yeah...fuck him for having a problem with the United Negro College Fund. And yeah all that stuff you just named is SO the same.

 

Shadup.

 

Integrated proms with black and white hicks is going to lead to the greatest emails featured bad prom outfits ever. GO FOR IT!!!

 

He feels money, even scholarship money, shouldn't be collected and distributed to a single race. Why "fuck him" for that?