Georgians Plan Whites-Only Prom Party

Associated Press ^ | 05-01-03

[Brian S]

ALBANY, Ga. May 1 — A year after holding their first integrated prom, some students at Taylor County High School have decided to again hold a separate, private party for whites only.

While many whites say they still plan to attend next week's integrated prom, the decision to hold the whites-only prom this Friday saddened senior Gerica McCrary, who helped organize last year's dance.

"I cried," said McCrary, who is black. "The black juniors said, 'Our prom is open to everyone. If you want to come, come.'"

Juniors are in charge of planning the prom each year and last year they decided to have just one dance the first integrated prom in 31 years in the rural Georgia county 150 miles south of Atlanta.

Until then, parents and students organized separate proms for whites and blacks after school officials stopped sponsoring dances, in part because they wanted to avoid problems arising from interracial dating.

This year, a small number of white juniors decided they wanted a separate prom.

"They influenced the others," said McCrary, who plans to major in biology at Columbus State University. "They didn't vote on anything. They said, 'This is what we're going to do.'"

The school has 439 students, 232 of them black. McCrary and a white friend passed out fliers informing students of all races that they would be welcome at the May 9 prom at nearby Fort Valley State University.

The private prom is Friday night 50 miles away in Columbus.

Erin Posey, a white senior, said the entire junior class joined together in hosting last year's prom, but this year's junior class wasn't as unified.

"I think a lot of seniors were disappointed," she said. "Now we have to choose between two groups of friends."

Posey plans to attend both proms.

"I had some white friends who were not going to the other (inclusive) prom," she said. "I wanted to have time with everybody. I'll have a lot of (black) friends there, too. A lot more of the seniors are going to be at the mixed one."

After school integration, separate proms were common in the rural South, but Taylor County was among the last to cling to the practice.

Glenda Latimore, a 1972 graduate, was in the first class to have separate black and white proms. Now her 16-year-old son, Gerard, is preparing for prom night.

As the black junior class president, her son helped organize the open-to-all prom. The class also has a white president.

"I would have liked to see it together this year," said Latimore, an outfielder on the school's baseball team. "My class would have, too. It just didn't happen this year."

Glenda Latimore said relatives in Philadelphia and New Jersey laugh when they read about Taylor County's prom. She said residents here are "nice and friendly," but they still have a problem with proms.

"It seems like it's something secret," she said. "The white people are afraid to speak up against the separation.

"But I went to a black prom and I had fun," she said. "It didn't kill me, so I tell my son, 'Just go to the prom and have fun. Don't come out hating anyone.'"

[KantianBurke]

its wrong due to their motives which are in all likelihood, due to the location, one of the following (a) hatred of blacks, (b) view of the white race as being superior (c) destest a color blind society.

[demosthenes the elder]

I don't deal in connotations: I am connotatively-challenged.
Denotations are reliable, have an etymological history with discernable lineage. Connotations too often spring forth fully formed like unto Pallas, having no such roots or development, and quite often absurd meanings too ideosyncratic to take seriously. I shun them.

[DeathfromBelow]

Every day, I see scores of FReepers who wouldn't countenance such racial prejudice (which is legally, but not morally, the right of those students) applaud and snigger at its being shown toward gays. That's the one category of prejudice permitted -- nay, encouraged -- around here.

Naw, not prejudice, just outright disgust with the actions.

[demosthenes the elder]

that is no lie.

[mabelkitty]

I have to tell you that many black Americans are incensed at having homosexual demands being compared to racism and the struggles of slavery. You aren't helping your cause at all.

[k2blader]

Well, I don't like the mafia, nor do I like vigilante "justice" (tho' both make for good box office returns).

But I digress...

The subject here simply isn't prejudice against homosexuals. Why bring that here rather than keeping it on the other thread(s)?

[mabelkitty]

See, I don't insult Polish folks - only French folks.

[Dan from Michigan]

b : a person lacking urban polish or refinement

Translation - A person lacking BS.... :)

[MAWG]

" Pitchforker?" That's not in my dictionary. Care to explain its true meaning?

[k2blader]

Whatever it was, you're obviously not a "racist troll." That's what counts. ;-)

FRegards,
k2

[demosthenes the elder]

So - if I understand your position, legal equals right. If it is legal it can't be wrong. Hmmm....

one important correction to your understanding of my position: CONSTITUTIONAL equals right.

[reelfoot]

Any objection to the separate proms is, in my opinion, much ado about nothing. It's widely known that in colleges a great many students, both blacks and whites, voluntarily separate themselves in cafeterias and other college venues. The same holds true in many other areas of post-college life. Is this wrong? Of course not. Forced integration is as repugnant as forced segregation. Each individual should make his own choices free from government coercion. Why does the fact that this is a very tenuous quasi-government school function (i.e., high school prom) trump freedom of association? I suspect the real objection is that it's a group of whites who want a separate prom. If it were a group of blacks, it would go unnoticed, because that wouldn't run afoul of the PC police.

[DBtoo]

Where I live there are lots of whites and natives (Eskimos) married to one another. Most of the kids here are mixed, probably most of the people in general here are. And there are no racial tensions or problems at all. This is a wonderful place to live and people help one another.

[KantianBurke]

a "pitchforker' denotes a Buchannite paleocon. He used the term several times during his campaign. They have a tendency to hate Jews, have an odd fascination with refighting the Civil War and delight is silly isolationist stances.

[doug from upland]

This is a shame. I would only agree with a white only prom if the black students were having a black only prom. It is sickening when people see color before character.

[MAWG]

I have a Bachelors degree in Medieval Lit. and philosophy and you dodged the issue. You accused someone of being prejudiced and then referred to them using a prejudicial term offensive to southerners. Admit it.

[Polybius]

no, it's just not illegal. it's still wrong.

Hey, there's one thing you and I both agree 100% on.

How about that. ;-)

[MineralMan]

"So what makes it immoral? Because you say so? Please help me out here, I really want to understand."

"...all men are created equal."

"Love thy neighbor as thyself."

You want more?

[johnb838]

You said "snigger". You can get banned for that.