Bridging the Divide: Wilcox County High School Students Hold First Integrated Prom

i’m confused as to how this is even legal…

God Bless ‘em! I’m SO proud of the youth of today. Not too long before all the old racist dinosaurs die off.

Wow….I cannot help but kind of laugh about the separate prom for all white students made up by their white parents. Exactly how far down are their heads buried, anyway?

How about no more Black History Month (unless we have a white history month) no more Miss Black America (unless we have an all white one) You know it goes both ways here.

The south is soooooooo embarrassing to the rest of the country. Still.

@Gene&Susan, really, an entire state? an entire region? You two are just as bad as the white parents in this story.

“Despite this year’s groundbreaking integrated dance, once again this year there was a segregated prom attended only by white students. It wasn’t an officially sanctioned event, but a private one organized by white parents.”

I hear the new Georgia state motto is: “Georgia – embarrassing white people since the Civil War”

It makes me want to cry that there is a community that is that far behind…There is hope for the human race with kids like these coming together to be together.

I have lived to see so much of what Dr. King spoke of and I feel Blessed. I remember segregation and how and why it was justified even by some using the bible. But the Lovings showed the US what God created and the love we all share. Time moved on but it takes the youth to teach God’s lessons. I was not raised racist. My first freshman crush was on a really good looking man running for President because we weren’t allowed to have boyfriends at that age so I just pick John Kennedy because he was always on TV and so cute. Well time has move on and I have seen so many hotties of all races. But now much older I got to meet the cutest Governor name Martin O’Malley and wow we talked and he asked me for a hug I was lost 20 years and felt 45 years old for a few mins. Look your never to old to look and I give credit to a good looking dude. I hope the kids enjoy and spread equality to their children and just maybe the US will look like the Dream Dr. King spoke of for all Americans.

They don’t like to be called racist because they consider that some liberal slander yet it’s 2013 and they still had segregated dances?

It would be interesting if someone would post on the Internet the NAMES of the parents who insist on holding “whites-only” event :) Just saying that the rest of America would like to identify racists so that we can ostracize them.

how ridiculous and ignorant does segregated proms sound?

This is 2013 and these backwards …… are patting themselves on the back. No wonder the USA love India’s machismo. Sickening.

Yay! Way to go kids! Now let’s do away with the “NCAAP Image Awards” and “Billboard Latin Music Awards”, as well. ALL segregation is wrong! We are one nation!

If you are confused as to how this is legal, then you are very special.

@ S CROOKS …….the other 8 months of school are white history months.
@FREDERIC VENNER…..How is this moral? This makes good sense, how? This is good for their children, how?

Good thing some of the kids in Wilcox County have Good Sense!!

If the school was having a secregated prom it would be illegal because they are probaly using state and federal funds. If white parents are putting on a private party and calling it a prom. then, it is legal, although they should call it a party instead of a prom.

@Cameron. Let us also post the names of everyone who runs, attends and supports all black colleges or single sex schools as well since they are obviously racist scum too, oh wait, that is only relevant when “white” people try to separate themselves……

More racist reporting.

The old generation of bigots and racists will eventually die out, leaving room for future generations to live their lives without fear of discrimination. Hopefully, the prom was not just a black and white thing, but a celebration that included other ethnic groups. May God bless America.

Happened in 2007 too Search “Turner County prom 2007″

As a black student in a predominantly white university, my first girlfriend was a white girl. We met on a prom night. Neither one of us was at the prom. I met her on the prom night while returning from class. She was hanging outside the building where the prom was held. Her reason for not being at the prom was that no male student asked her to be a prom date. She said her friends thought she was not pretty enough to have a prom date. I made her realize that she was beautiful. We had a long conversation that evening. There was good chemistry between us—we just “hit it off.” Even though we could not escape the pry of other people’s eyes seeing a black student dating a white girl, we enjoyed a good relationship. Discrimination goes on within ethnic groups, just as it is between ethnic groups. There are whites who discriminate against other whites, just as blacks who discriminate against other blacks. it is human nature.

Once again, you just can’t fix stupid…. About Black History Month…. This is the only 20 days each year that students (both black, white and other) are exposed to any significant amount of history dealing with non-white persons. When the textbook writers get it right and really incorporate all of the important figures of history into the textbooks, I would be more than happy to see black history month retired.

Katy, you are making an argument that doesn’t need to be made because there are very few if any all black colleges in the U. S. There are historically black colleges; however, they do not discriminate against any student of any race who desires to attend it and meets its qualifications. And while I am at the pulpit… on minority scholarships…. of all the monies set aside for such scholarships, this only comes to 3% of the whole. With that said, of every 1 million dollars of scholarship monies, only $30,000 would be in these funds, leaving $990,000 in the pot for all non-minority students.

The bottom line is that this whole separate prom thing is wrong. Kudos to the students who took a step to end it and shame on those parents who work overtime to perpetuate such drivel.

I try not to stop much in Georgia on my way from Florida to Kentucky. he gas is cheap but the people are stand-offish. I guess they don’t like strangers either…..

It is unbelievable that we are still having this conversation. There is a huge difference between ‘race’ and ‘culture’. Culture is something that is celebrated by those within the culture and shared with those outside. The growth in sharing this culture, helps to create a better world for us all. One of the commonalities that we all share is food. We need it to sustain life, for physical growth and good health. As an African-American, southern born, I have had food experiences that harken back to slavery. Bearing in mind that I am not fond of them all, but I feel it is very important to know and experience, as well as share. I have had the pleasure of tasting the cultures of other people, who feel honored that I am able to step into their world and live in their experiences. This is true love for your their culture and for humanity.
When people speak of ‘Black History’ or the ‘Latin Grammy Awards’, these aren’t exclusive to people who are African-American or of Latin decent. These are events that are presented/televised to share cultural experiences. If a ‘white’ American makes the choice to not engage, they’ve made a conscious choice to not partake in the cultural experience and have ‘prejudged’ those who are within the culture. That is prejudice — a prejudgment on people who aren’t ‘like’ them.
What these Seniors have done will have positive implications for those who will follow in the years to come. They will all have the opportunity to flourish beyond Wilcox County and the limited hearts and minds of those unwilling to live in the present.

unbelievable that segregation has still been going on for 40 years! Disgusting. Figures it’s in the bible belt. Just plain hypocritical.

It’s appalling this was still happening in modern day America. Scarier yet is that we have lobbyists trying to remove laws that encourage desegregation and protect civil institutions (whether it’s voter districting or school enrollment), Obviously we have parts of this nation that need those laws on the books still. The parents that encouraged segregated proms should be disgusted with themselves.

This shouldn’t be viewed as some kind of a sign of progress, as much as it is a sign of embarrassment, that something of this nature still exist in 21ST century America.

People call the South “friendly”, but what good is it when you’ve got this kind of thing going on?? I will never live in the South becausec of the racism that still exists there so entrenched. An embarrassment to the rest of the country.

I am a sixty-tow year old African American that experienced downright raw segregation during my early education and high school years in South Florida during the 60s. After attending college, I enlisted in the Army and my wife and I raised two girls during my almost thirty years of active duty military service. I can honestly say that we were blessed that our children were raised in many multi-cultural environments with no segregation. In fact, I don’t recall them ever telling us about having a bad experience with other ethnicities. This is the truth–and I was stationed in the Savannah/Fort Stewart, Georgia area.
Now, here we are in the 21st century and innocent children are still being guided and taught to disassociate and practice raw racism and ignorance. This is to say that fools can only breed little fools. The little fools can only act like fools and follow the big fools. In spite of so many current day fools, I really applaud these four young women who challenged blatant corruption and ignorance. Four intelligent young women had the heart and goodwill to do the right thing. The fact that these women were successful in achieving their objective speaks volumes about their character, their hearts, and determination. They proved that God’s will and grace will ALWAYS overshadow the mindset of a bunch of low-life, stupid, worthless parents (big fools) who breed children to avoid reality and remain fools all of their lives.
I encourage these four young women to remain focused and diligent about making a difference in their lives and this world. What they did will forever change the landscape of this pitiful and sad town. Nothing will ever change what they did or the experience they shared.

Why is it considered “progress” to promote miscegenation between the races? No one is forcing these kids not to socialize with each other. And if parents want their MINOR children not to associate/ have sex with other races, shouldn’t that be their choice?

This is a perfect example of the saying ” The children are the future”. Thats horrible that segregation and discrimination is still floating through the country, let alone the schools. Nearly 40 years? R U serious? As far as the private party (prom), that’s perfectly legal. I still love the South but a bit pissed off that some of us southeners are still having this type of mentality. It’s called the UNITED States of America for a reason.

After reading the comments here, it seems most of the people commenting here are from that county in Georgia. Pretty sad.

@S. Crooks “How about no more Black History Month (unless we have a white history month) no more Miss Black America (unless we have an all white one) You know it goes both ways here.”
Not to be rude, but it doesn’t go both ways. every month EXCEPT black history month is white history month, and Miss Black America is held so that black women can be represented. Racism requires a group from one race to hold some sort of privilege or good/service from another group in discrimination. Black people don’t own anything, so what are we keeping you from? the worst we can do is be mad and hold the functions that overall black people have barely been given the opportunity to take part in (past and occasionally present)

I am a life-long resident of Georgia. I am a retired school teacher and am currently a lawyer. I have taught in several school districts and have never seen anything like the whites-only prom in Wilcox County. In my early childhood I lived in Telfair County that borders Wilcox. Now I live in a county about equal distance between Chattanooga and Atlanta in a neighborhood of multiracial and multiechnic residents and attend a church with multiracial and multiethnic members who fellowship and eat at each other’s homes. I remember the 1960′s as a teenager. I believe the TV coverage at the time helped to shame Southerners who were in denial about the inhumanity of Jim Crow South. I cannot understand why Wilcox County persists in an attitude that is no longer mainstream in Georgia or anywhere else in the U.S. I am older than the parents producing this prom, and I loath it. I don’t understand how can they follow my generation with retograde additues.Wilcox County many comprise only .0001% of the state’s population, but I feel keenly embarassed for the rest of us that even such a small group stiil exhibits such behavior.

I dont understand some comments here, not all whites are racist but those that are are very ignorant.
you block out people of other cultures, do your best to avoid them. then get upset when they form their own little groups ,associations and communiities.
one of the greatest symptons of inferiority complex is superiority complex, you guys feel threatened
for only God knows want reason and like a bully the ony way to feekl better about yourself
is to put others down,

@Rich…Learn your history!!! It wasn’t your WHITE people who was forced from their lands and brought over here to this country only to be beaten and sold amongst other racist. It’s wasn’t your WHITE people who was hung & stripped but naked with their remains left hanging from a tree where everybody can see it. It wasn’t your WHITE people who fought blood, sweat, & tears to gain equality for all races. So you you say WHITE people don’t have a month to celebrate, you sound ignorant because WHITE people have had hundreds of years to dominate, dictate, & control America. Now in 2013 equality is here due to the works of renowned individuals such as Dr. Martin Luther King, Malcolm X, W.E.B Dubois, The NAACP, Rosa Parks, Harriet Tubman, William Still…Need I continue!!! Don’t ever make a racist remark like that unless you have definitive evidence to back your statement up!!!!! I believe that this prom represented a call for change!!!

As a white man in Cincinnati I thought race relations here were a bit behind the times, but this is just ridiculous. Mark Twain said “When the end of the world comes, I want to be in Cincinnati because it’s always twenty years behind the times.” I guess now he would want to be in GA. In another decade or two we will hear about them celebrating the end of the Cold War.

There’s still plenty of segregation. Just ask the congressional black caucus or BET or look in almost any school cafeteria, plenty of none mixing going on there mostly by self choice.

Gene and Susan! I beg your pardon. I live in the State of Georgia and am offended by your blanket statements. To categorize the entire population of a state or a region based on the actions of a few is ignorant and unfair. Doing so makes you no better than the unfortunately racist people who are among the Wilcox County residents. FYI I have lived all over the United States and, so far, I have yet to see ANY area that is immune to racism. At least the students in Wilcox County, Georgia are DOING something about correcting this problem. How about some kudoes for that? As the old song says: “You’ve got to accentuate the positive!”

“The old generation of bigots and racists will eventually die out, leaving room for future generations”—-really? Then how do you explain this? Seems the south just keep breeding bigots .

More racist reporting.—- How can anyone be so daffed to not understand that the continued knuckledragging of southern whites is news. Yes, it is news. And when this sort of things still continues, we should drag it out in the open so we can shame whomever is part of it. Absolutely. When you allow racism to exist and turn a blind eye to it, this is why we had ‘slavery lite’ for 100 years after slavery was outlawed, pretty much slaverly continued in the south until the 1960s, with blacks unable to vote, get jobs outside of menial labor, blacks unable to hold public office, unable to get access to quality education, unable to live a free life. For ONE HUNDRED YEARS!!! And then, when the north, and liberals….again….DRAGGED them into having a trace of humanity, how do they respond? Hanging blacks, executing them, dragging through the streets, torturing them. Yup. how awful. Wanting to be free, eh? It’s beyond disgusting. it’s quite plain there is some mental impairment of southern people. YOu just do not do the right thing, ever, generation after generation after generation. You have a long history of cruelty and evil that just does not get better with time. It is what it is. Outlaw the confederate flag per YOUR own doing. Then maybe we’ll look at you in a more favorable light…that would be a nice start.

“Despite this year’s groundbreaking integrated dance, once again this year there was a segregated prom attended only by white students.” — NOTHING has changed. Racism is everywhere, even up North. They’re just not as obvious about it up here.

women’s vote—just as many bigots in the north also, they just hide it well. Your comments scream raciest towards southern people no difference….

How pathetic. It’s 2013 and they are FINALLY having their first integrated prom?

ABC—-I wish that there was a way of printing off this page. If I could do that, I’d save it as proof for the next person that tries to tell me that bigotry and racism are a thing of the past and we should all just get over it. 150 years and it continues. Same old, same old.

Little wonder Georgia is a solidly republican state.

I’m completely shocked and appalled! But so proud of the students that participated!!!

Props to the students. Pretty sad that this is still a concern in the 21st Century. As a reminder – we are all the HUMAN race. If we don’t learn to get along desipte our skin color, religion, ethnicity, etc, well – we’re just screwed.

if people knew their history, during slavery, the master was always visiting some poor blacks residence, hence the word, mulatto. This is the 21th century. I live in Chicago and have always gone to an integrated school. I know there are still some racist people out there and will always be, but I do applaud the ones that take a step forward. Those students stepped forward and did what they wanted to do. They held a mixed prom.

@DARWIN WAS RIGHT—————–Chimps don’t do those things because they aren’t smart enough to do them. Watch chimps for a while and you will find plenty that do mean spirited things to their own. You can see it among a lot of animal species.

No matter what parents wanted, the school, officials and administrators of the town are responsible as well, for enforcing it. Parents can’t hide behind officials in order to discriminate. They need to be publicly shamed to stop this sort of thing. Put the photos in the paper of all the people who requested or made the segregation possible, along with the new interracial prom photos, and then you have the right story. Then make them get their Mitochondrial dna done so they see our ancestors are all related.

The south is no different than anywhere else. The only difference with these people is that they were bold to do what they feel. I bet you once the “media” is gone, eveything will go back to the way it is. There is nothing wrong with having pride for who you are; but when you degrade others, that is the problem. I see nothing wrong with BET or latino shows because the MAINSTREAm will never give the same equal time to blacks, asians, latinos. That is just fact. Also, and I hate to say it, there is bigotry even within racial groups. There are blacks who hate blacks and date whites because they think whites will treat them better and we know that is not true. The same with some latinos and asians. And this happens ALL OVER THE UNITED STATES.

To clarify some things for some of you. The ‘Whites Only’ prom was for only Whites. A bi-racial student tried to attend last year and was escorted away by the police. The ‘Black Prom’ was attended by students of ALL races to include White students. Since the school refused to stand up to the status quo and sanctioning an integrated prom, as many other schools do throughout the Georgia and the rest of the Deep South, they chose the easy and I shall I saw cowards way out and left it up to the parents. This is how it’s always been. So you have 4 girls, 2 Black and 2 White who chose to leave a greater legacy for their school. And even within this comments section, you have people who would celebrate segregation as some sort of tool of supremacy. But if these kids are taught to live and work with others unlike themselves now, how will they develop success in the real world? For all of the bickering on this website, suffice it to say, that the students that did show up, had a wonderful time. They tried to make their small corner of the world better by having a Prom that celebrated the melting pot that the United States really is. Can we at least agree on that?

I think that a local African American celebrity/sports figure should step in and throw a ridiculous off the hook party on their private yacht/at their estate and include everyone from the school…except the kids that went to the segregated prom.