Georgia high school students organize first integrated prom

[d_r]

Source: wfsa


MACON, GA (WGXA/CNN/WALB) – Students at Wilcox County High School in south Georgia share classrooms and sports fields, but they don't share the same dances. Some students are aiming to change that.

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"There's a white prom and then we have our integrated prom," said Bloodworth.

If any race other than Caucasian tries to attend the white prom, Bloodworth said they "would probably have the police come out there and escort them off the premises."

That was the case just last year as a biracial student was turned away by police.

Read more: http://www.wsfa.com/story/21866345/georgia-high-school-students-organize-first-integrated-prom

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mind blowing, huh?

[NewJeffCT]

1. I guess I'm pretty naive

I didn't think segregrated proms or similar were around anymore.

[Posteritatis]

7. Around and passionately defended in some places.

I wouldn't be terribly surprised if this one was cancelled altogether; there've been other stories of schools which did away with dances entirely rather than integrate one.

[gtar100]

21. Yea, that's the typical answer I'd expect of republicans...just cancel it rather than grow up

and be mature. So sad that the idiots are in charge but it's pretty cool that the kids are doing something about it. I'm sure it strikes great fear in the hearts of the racists around there but we can hope that they are a dying breed. Better late than never.

[SkyDaddy7]

8. I was born, raised & live in Georgia...

And I will be the first to say the South is a nasty disgusting place to live! Folks down here are completely blinded by Christianity & then there is the racism...The South does have a wonderful culture but it is all ruined because with it comes the absurdity of religion & disgusting stupidity of racism. I use to try & defend, stick up for, apologize for the South & say stuff like "its getting better" especially when I was in the military & stationed in Southern California....But the truth is there is DEEP DEEP seated racism & bigotry down here & believe it or not many Southerners still hold a fucking grudge over the Civil War!! WHY? Obviously, because now they are forced by law to uphold the rights of minorities & other religions. Hell, North Carolina is trying to create a Christian Theocracy in their state! Who knows, the SCOTUS might let them?

I would leave the South in a minute & head west but my wife refuses to leave her family which I fully understand & accepted before I said I do. However, my wife has said if possible we are out of here when she retires!! Until then I can dream.

[Scootaloo]

9. Uh oh, you've gone and kicked the fire ant bed...

Suggesting the South may not be the progressive idea of heaven is like starting a thread about circumcision by pit bulls on DU

For what it's worth? I agree, it's one reason I don't live there anymore. When I hear the oft-repeated phrase, "the South shall rise again!" I can't help but think, "well yeah, 'up' is about the only direction left to go at this point..."

[RebelOne]

13. I live in North Georgia in the Atlanta metro area.

I moved here from South Florida in 1989 and I have yet to see any racism in this area.

[Scootaloo]

18. According to the article, just take about an hour's drive south on I-75 and look for a high school

[marmar]

38. In the Atlanta metro area? There's plenty, trust me.

[SkyDaddy7]

25. LOL!!

I like your answer to the insanely stupid idea many Southerners hold deep in their hearts, "The South Will Rise Again!! Yee-Haw!!"

You are 100% correct...The South really has no where to go but "up"...They have sunk about as low as one can without resorting to full out violent rebeling!

[LTX]

31. Of course.

The "south" is all bad, all of it a right wing hell. Alternatively, it is all good, all of it a progressive heaven. Just like the "north" and the "east" and the "west."

[wilt the stilt]

29. ding ding ding we have a winner

I live in Georgia and everything SkyDaddy says is true. UGA is nasty. My son belongs to the most diverse frat and there web page comments are n*****r this and n*****r that. Thy hang confederate flags on frat row. It's a terrible place with very few minorities. My son is a good "minority" he's Asian.

[mainer]

2. Wilcox High school, celebrating 50 long years behind the times.

Wow, my own HS (integrated) prom was 45 years ago. I feel like I'm reading about some school on Mars.

[Enrique]

3. just last month, Mississippi banned slavery

now this. Pat Buchanan must be freaking out big time.

[lunasun]

4. stupid time warp town

Bloodworth said they "would probably have the police come out there and escort them off the premises."
Hey-shouldn't the police help uphold their right to attend a public school event instead?

[Gormy Cuss]

16. The article says that the proms aren't school-sponsored; they're private parties

and as such the organizers can set limits on who can attend.

I wonder if the prom used to be a school event in the distant past but was converted to a private party in order to avoid integration.

[SpartanDem]

17. Very likely

there is long history of that the South. Morgan Freeman made a documentary about this, he offered to pay for the prom of his hometown in MS if they integrated and they accepted.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prom_Night_in_Mississippi

[octothorpe]

5. This is one of those "this day in history" posts, right?

This has to be the last place that had segregated dances, right?

[KamaAina]

6. An entire race is going to try to go to the prom in this one-horse town?

If any race other than Caucasian tries to attend the white prom

Is it 1954 yet?

[groundloop]

10. I'm in Georgia, thankfully not in Wilcox County

It's been many years since I've spent time in south Georgia, I just never imagined that there was anyplace left that was like that. Thank goodness my kids have grown up with friends from a variety of racial and ethnic backgrounds.

[BlueJazz]

11. The South..leading America into the 19th century. Maybe the darkies can do the "Hambone" for them.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

12. This is farking insane

Get with the 1970s, will you?

Since it is a private event and not school sponsored. legal options are limited. However the school can ban it from the annual and should have years ago.

[Squinch]

14. That is disgusting that that still goes on. I bet those white proms are full of the people and

children of people who loudly state that they are not bigots.

[d_r]

15. Wilcox County

I went to high school in Florida, I live in Chattanooga and went to college in Auburn, AL. So I've criss crossed across Georgia more times than I ever wanted to.

I have never been to Wilcox. I wasn't sure where it was exactly so I googled it.

OK, if you are going down I-75 and you get to Cordele, it is near there. You'd have to get off the interstate and drive a little ways before you get to the county. If you haven't been down I-75, what I'm describing is BFE middle of no where. This is pretty much where the movie "2,000 maniacs" was set.

There is one elementary school, one middle school, and one high school in the county.

Here are the demographics from wikipedia-

As of the census of 2000, there were 8,577 people, 2,785 households, and 1,977 families residing in the county. The population density was 23 people per square mile (9/km²). There were 3,320 housing units at an average density of 9 per square mile (3/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 62.61% White, 36.21% Black or African American, 0.09% Native American, 0.16% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.48% from other races, and 0.43% from two or more races. 1.62% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

[Rhiannon12866]

23. Wow! This is a whole different world, or century!

[MrSlayer]

19. Wait, what? This is present day?

How the hell are such things even legal?

It's beyond disgusting.

I'm glad the kids are taking steps here but this practice should have been eliminated fifty years ago.

Welcome to the twentieth century Georgia.

By the gods.

[gtar100]

20. This is really old news, isn't it? Say, 50 to 60 years ago?

Or did they just fail to develop in that part of Georgia. Good on the students for not putting up with their parents' bullshit.

[Rhiannon12866]

22. Just Wow!

[leftynyc]

24. New South my ass

I'm not condemning everyone down there but holy shit - it's mind blowing I'm reading this story in 2013. You'd think embarrassment alone would keep it from happening.

[PolitFreak]

27. Welcome to the 1960s, Macon

Oy!

[dawg]

33. Don't blame Macon.

This didn't happen there.

[SpartanDem]

35. There are these things call datelines

Macon where the story was filed, not where it happened.

[PolitFreak]

36. Thanks for the condescension

Am I spelling that right? As you've so astutely observed, I'm not very bright.

[SpartanDem]

39. My bad I have a lot of family in Macon

Last edited Thu Apr 4, 2013, 09:09 PM - Edit history (1)

I didn't want people thinking it was the racist city

[PolitFreak]

40. No problem

But there's a word missing in the above post.

[cvoogt]

28. An idea ahead of its time?

I mean, for a medium-size GA town I guess it is. Imagine the many smaller places in the bottom half of GA with the exception of Savannah. I once spent 6 weeks in Perry, GA, doing construction on a farm (former plantation). The workers' cottages were far away from the main house, just as they were during slavery. In fact, about the only thing that seemed to have changed was the introduction of electricity and the fact that I was getting paid (just enough to cover groceries). Oh, and driving to Macon was about the only fun to be had on weekends.

[Arkana]

30. I don't normally like to engage in South-bashing

and I'm fully aware that a lot of good and prominent Democrats have come from Dixie.

But when I see shit like this, sometimes I almost wish Sherman hadn't stopped with Atlanta*. We've got racists in the North, sure--Boston is a prime example--but they don't run the show like they do in some Southern states.





































*THIS IS HYPERBOLE. IF YOU TAKE IT LITERALLY, I WILL LOSE ALL RESPECT FOR YOU AND PUNCH YOU. WITH MY MIND. THROUGH THE INTERNET.

[dawg]

32. Um ... he didn't. (Stop with Atlanta, that is)

He cut a sixty-mile wide path of devastation through the entire middle of the state, then he turned north and gave even worse to South Carolina.

Edited to add: I know it's hyperbole, but the history nerd in me still has to point out the inaccuracy. For what it's worth, I know you wouldn't really wish for more of my ancestors to have been killed.

[dawg]

34. This is shocking to me, too.

And I live in Georgia. Most areas of our state are much more evolved.

[demmiblue]

37. Yes, it is mind blowing. And disgusting.