In Georgia, Segregation Endures on Prom Night

[one...two...tree 2,762]

Students from Montgomery County High School in Mount Vernon, Ga., before the prom.

By SARA CORBETT, NYT

About now, high-school seniors everywhere slip into a glorious sort of limbo. Waiting out the final weeks of the school year, they begin rightfully to revel in the shared thrill of moving on. It is no different in south-central Georgia's Montgomery County, made up of a few small towns set between fields of wire grass and sweet onion. The music is turned up. Homework languishes. The future looms large. But for the 54 students in the class of 2009 at Montgomery County High School, so, too, does the past. On May 1 — a balmy Friday evening — the white students held their senior prom. And the following night — a balmy Saturday — the black students had theirs.

Racially segregated proms have been held in Montgomery County — where about two-thirds of the population is white — almost every year since its schools were integrated in 1971. Such proms are, by many accounts, longstanding traditions in towns across the rural South, though in recent years a number of communities have successfully pushed for change. When the actor Morgan Freeman offered to pay for last year's first-of-its-kind integrated prom at Charleston High School in Mississippi, his home state, the idea was quickly embraced by students — and rejected by a group of white parents, who held a competing "private" prom. (The effort is the subject of a documentary, "Prom Night in Mississippi," which will be shown on HBO in July.) The senior proms held by Montgomery County High School students — referred to by many students as "the black-folks prom" and "the white-folks prom" — are organized outside school through student committees with the help of parents. All students are welcome at the black prom, though generally few if any white students show up. The white prom, students say, remains governed by a largely unspoken set of rules about who may come. Black members of the student council say they have asked school administrators about holding a single school-sponsored prom, but that, along with efforts to collaborate with white prom planners, has failed. According to Timothy Wiggs, the outgoing student council president and one of 21 black students graduating this year, "We just never get anywhere with it." Principal Luke Smith says the school has no plans to sponsor a prom, noting that when it did so in 1995, attendance was poor.

Students of both races say that interracial friendships are common at Montgomery County High School. Black and white students also date one another, though often out of sight of judgmental parents. "Most of the students do want to have a prom together," says Terra Fountain, a white 18-year-old who graduated from Montgomery County High School last year and is now living with her black boyfriend. "But it's the white parents who say no. … They're like, if you're going with the black people, I'm not going to pay for it."

"It's awkward," acknowledges JonPaul Edge, a senior who is white. "I have as many black friends as I do white friends. We do everything else together. We hang out. We play sports together. We go to class together. I don't think anybody at our school is racist." Trying to explain the continued existence of segregated proms, Edge falls back on the same reasoning offered by a number of white students and their parents. "It's how it's always been," he says. "It's just a tradition."

Earlier this month, on the Friday night of the white prom, Kera Nobles, a senior who is black, and six of her black classmates drove over to the local community center where it was being held. Standing amid a crowd of about 80 parents, siblings and grandparents, they snapped pictures and whooped appreciatively as their white friends — blow-dried, boutonniered and glittering in a way that only high-school seniors can — did their "senior walk," parading in elegant pairs into the prom. "We got stared at a little, being there," said one black student, "but it wasn't too bad."

After the last couple were announced, after they watched the white people's father-daughter dance and then, along with the other bystanders, were ushered by chaperones out the door, Kera and her friends piled into a nearby KFC to eat. Whatever elation they felt for their dressed-up classmates was quickly wearing off.

more...

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/24/magazine/24prom-t.html

[rooster 1]

I think it's time for some so called parents to join the rest of us in the 21st century.

[~PalmTreeGurl~ 154]

I wonder how the school would react if there was one white and one black boyfriend/girlfriend couple? I would hope they wouldnt make them go to prom separeately. IMO that school or county or whatever needs to change a few rules.

[reeses16 8]

Its not the schools policy to have separate proms. Its typically parents and community that support a privately sponsored prom. I grew up in Louisiana. I went to a high school were we didn't have racial issues or segregated proms. But my cousins who lived 3 hours away did. I think its the reflection of the community.

That being said, I understand the logic of segregated proms years ago when schools were first immigrated. Black students and their families received threats, some were attacked, and in a few extreme situation police and national guards escorted children to school. In an environment like that I don't think some schools would have welcomed ALL students to the prom. And I can understand parents wanting their kids to have a special night and enjoy prom knowing that they were safe. But I think its inappropriate now. The environment is very different. Again, I think it goes back to the community.

Edited May 23, 2009 by reeses16

[reeses16 8]

Wow. I made a ton of spelling/grammar mistakes. I hope I was still clear.

Any other thoughts about the article?

[Scott & Lai 12]

"It's just a tradition" seems a rather flimsy excuse for continuing this...

[scandal 951]

...

Principal Luke Smith says the school has no plans to sponsor a prom, noting that when it did so in 1995, attendance was poor.

...

Earlier this month, on the Friday night of the white prom, Kera Nobles, a senior who is black, and six of her black classmates drove over to the local community center where it was being held.

Just wrong

As I was reading the article, I was wondering where the proms are actually held. Were they at the school gym? Or off the school, in a hotel ballroom? What is the involvement of the (public) school in this event?

So from the snips above: (a) the school is not sponsoring it (b ) it's in a community center.

If it were held at the school or organized by the school a legal anti-discrimination charge could easily be brought. Since the school has no involvement, the parents are free to privately organize whatever they like. But if the community center received public funding, I think a discrimination suit could be filed.

[Danno 1,228]

Continue what, Self segregation?

People do it all the time why would younger people be any exception.

Many organizations in a community are mostly made up of groups which are mostly the same race, sex, age group etc.

Are we going to march into Black AME churches and "shame" them into attending white congregations?

Are we going to break up a Bowling team because it is mostly chubby white guys?

Are we going to tell the garden club they need to recruit more men and perhaps Asians too?

Are we going to call Country bars and Latin dance clubs racist?

Why does no one bat an eye at all these groups where people are free to associate but if kids have a private prom we feel something must be terribly wrong?

Anyone who has worked on a prom committee knows, one of the biggest frictions can be planning a prom (especially music) which pleases everyone. Even picking the "theme song" can get one group or another pissed. If you put it too a vote, it's not fair to a minority voice.

It does seem odd to me that in this case here there are not more "cross over" attendance, as there are no shortage of interracial couples in every town..... and there are a certain number of white kids who really think they are "Black inside", why wouldn't they attend the Black prom?

and I am sure at least a few Black students who would rather attend the White prom too for whatever reason, so this "strict" segregation seems odd but by and large, people self-segregate all the time, not exclusively but from time to time.

[Scott & Lai 12]

Continue what, Self segregation?

People do it all the time why would younger people be any exception.

Many organizations in a community are mostly made up of groups which are mostly the same race, sex, age group etc.

Are we going to march into Black AME churches and "shame" them into attending white congregations?

Are we going to break up a Bowling team because it is mostly chubby white guys?

Are we going to tell the garden club they need to recruit more men and perhaps Asians too?

Are we going to call Country bars and Latin dance clubs racist?

Why does no one bat an eye at all these groups where people are free to associate but if kids have a private prom we feel something must be terribly wrong?

Anyone who has worked on a prom committee knows, one of the biggest frictions can be planning a prom (especially music) which pleases everyone. Even picking the "theme song" can get one group or another pissed. If you put it too a vote, it's not fair to a minority voice.

It does seem odd to me that in this case here there are not more "cross over" attendance, as there are no shortage of interracial couples in every town..... and there are a certain number of white kids who really think they are "Black inside", why wouldn't they attend the Black prom?

and I am sure at least a few Black students who would rather attend the White prom too for whatever reason, so this "strict" segregation seems odd but by and large, people self-segregate all the time, not exclusively but from time to time.

It isn't self-segregation, most of the kids want an integrated prom. It is the parents who are insisting on continuing having separate proms.

[Danno 1,228]

Continue what, Self segregation?

People do it all the time why would younger people be any exception.

Many organizations in a community are mostly made up of groups which are mostly the same race, sex, age group etc.

Are we going to march into Black AME churches and "shame" them into attending white congregations?

Are we going to break up a Bowling team because it is mostly chubby white guys?

Are we going to tell the garden club they need to recruit more men and perhaps Asians too?

Are we going to call Country bars and Latin dance clubs racist?

Why does no one bat an eye at all these groups where people are free to associate but if kids have a private prom we feel something must be terribly wrong?

Anyone who has worked on a prom committee knows, one of the biggest frictions can be planning a prom (especially music) which pleases everyone. Even picking the "theme song" can get one group or another pissed. If you put it too a vote, it's not fair to a minority voice.

It does seem odd to me that in this case here there are not more "cross over" attendance, as there are no shortage of interracial couples in every town..... and there are a certain number of white kids who really think they are "Black inside", why wouldn't they attend the Black prom?

and I am sure at least a few Black students who would rather attend the White prom too for whatever reason, so this "strict" segregation seems odd but by and large, people self-segregate all the time, not exclusively but from time to time.

It isn't self-segregation, most of the kids want an integrated prom. It is the parents who are insisting on continuing having separate proms.

Are we really to believe that somehow parents in this one town have perfect control over their kids?

I know the NYTimes kinda spun the story that way but these private graduation and prom parties which are done all over the place are often done without hardly any parents involved.

Why is it in this one place kids can't pool their money together like everyone else and throw a prom party?

Some parts of the Country the Proms are done buy the school, in other parts there are non-school prom parties, sometimes one many times several. Parents are involved in some and others not.

Maybe they really should film a Footloose sequel in this town.

[DEDixon 39]

Continue what, Self segregation?

People do it all the time why would younger people be any exception.

Many organizations in a community are mostly made up of groups which are mostly the same race, sex, age group etc.

Are we going to march into Black AME churches and "shame" them into attending white congregations?

Are we going to break up a Bowling team because it is mostly chubby white guys?

Are we going to tell the garden club they need to recruit more men and perhaps Asians too?

Are we going to call Country bars and Latin dance clubs racist?

Why does no one bat an eye at all these groups where people are free to associate but if kids have a private prom we feel something must be terribly wrong?

Anyone who has worked on a prom committee knows, one of the biggest frictions can be planning a prom (especially music) which pleases everyone. Even picking the "theme song" can get one group or another pissed. If you put it too a vote, it's not fair to a minority voice.

It does seem odd to me that in this case here there are not more "cross over" attendance, as there are no shortage of interracial couples in every town..... and there are a certain number of white kids who really think they are "Black inside", why wouldn't they attend the Black prom?

and I am sure at least a few Black students who would rather attend the White prom too for whatever reason, so this "strict" segregation seems odd but by and large, people self-segregate all the time, not exclusively but from time to time.

It isn't self-segregation, most of the kids want an integrated prom. It is the parents who are insisting on continuing having separate proms.

Are we really to believe that somehow parents in this one town have perfect control over their kids?

I know the NYTimes kinda spun the story that way but these private graduation and prom parties which are done all over the place are often done without hardly any parents involved.

Why is it in this one place kids can't pool their money together like everyone else and throw a prom party?

Some parts of the Country the Proms are done buy the school, in other parts there are non-school prom parties, sometimes one many times several. Parents are involved in some and others not.

Maybe they really should film a Footloose sequel in this town.

Yeah, you are right, if the kids wanted an integrated prom, they would have it.

I dated a school teacher once here in California.... she commented on lunch time... most of the Filipinos kids all grouped together, black kids grouped together, Latinos grouped together, white kids grouped together. Self segregation is real.... food, music, culture, dance, mannerisms, language separates us way more than color.

I work in technology..... back in the day right before Y2K (so 1998-1999) we let a lot of Indians come here to help get things right.... at lunch time they were packed around a few tables eating their food with their fingers. I doubt they would have felt comfortable eating with their fingers at a table where folks where being used.

[Reba 2]

Other of your co-workers ate people did they?

People self segregate usually because others make them feel that they have to.

[Danno 1,228]

Other of your co-workers ate people did they?

People self segregate usually because others make them feel that they have to.

Who typically are these people who make them feel they have to?

And are we to assume the various self segregated groups, all make each other feel they HAVE to segregate from each other as well?

[FaithfulandTrue 6]

I wonder how the school would react if there was one white and one black boyfriend/girlfriend couple? I would hope they wouldnt make them go to prom separeately. IMO that school or county or whatever needs to change a few rules.

they would probably have a heart attack

[The_Dude 1,142]

Other of your co-workers ate people did they?

People self segregate usually because others make them feel that they have to.

Who typically are these people who make them feel they have to?

And are we to assume the various self segregated groups, all make each other feel they HAVE to segregate from each other as well?

That would be the racist people. Did you not read the part in the article where it talked about when an integrated prom was offered to the school in Mississippi and the students overwhealmingly wanted it, but the parents didn't?

That being said, some California schools have segregated prom nights. But it is for gay students. At first it was for their protection, but now, it is not much of a factor. The difference is, they always had the choice to attend either one. The students in these southern high schools don't have that choice.