Georgia School Holds First Integrated Prom

(AP)  For the first time, the faces of students at the Turner County High School prom were both white and black.

Each year, in spite of integration, the school's white students had raised money for their own unofficial prom and black students did the same to throw their own separate party, an annual ritual that divided the southern Georgia peanut-farming county anew each spring.

That all changed Saturday as horse-drawn carriages and stretch limousines carried young couples around the downtown streets to a single prom.

"I couldn't be more proud of these young people," said Ray Jordan, the county's school superintendent. "The changes needed to come from the student body."

At the start of the school year, Turner County's four senior class officers had told principal Chad Stone they wanted an official prom and they wanted everyone invited.

Stone spent $5,000 of his discretionary fund to put together the county's first school-sponsored prom. Another $5,000 came from supporters after news stories about the plan spread across the nation.

"Tonight, it's a fresh start," said James Hall, the black senior class president who led the charge for the integrated prom.

The rural county seat of 4,000 people has been in need of uplifting news. Although a candy packaging plant employs hundreds, as does the up-and-down peanut industry, many of the better paying jobs are in larger towns in the region. The high school is one of the few things that give Ashburn a sense of community.

"The school is making changes — and they're long overdue," said Aniesha Gipson, who became the county's first solo homecoming queen last fall as it abandoned the practice of crowning separate white and black queens.

Still, traditions die hard. Only about two-thirds of the school's 160 upper-class students purchased tickets for the prom, blacks still easily outnumbered whites at the dance, and many whites still attended their own private party a week earlier.

"Last weekend was more like tradition. It wasn't racist, or prejudice," said Calvin Catom, a white senior who attended both parties. "This weekend is about the whole school getting together and having a party."

Few other white students would comment about the dance, telling reporters gathered outside the gym that school officials told them not to talk to the media.

"This is history, baby, this is history," said Noriega McKeller, a 19-year-old senior. "Somebody had to do it. Why couldn't it be us?"

[itwasntme000]

I think the dark man is looking at the white girl in the wrong way(on the picture above)......

ok i am bored but i am surprised i haven't seen that posted here yet..

[eric3720]

Most of the comments for this article are simply amazing%u2014in a depressing way. Poor grammar and spelling aside, I hope against fear that they aren%u2019t truly representative of the U.S. public. Criticizing the Turner County students because they are finally joining the 21st century? At least they're making progress. What%u2019s wrong with celebrating the positive side of a story? And then there%u2019s the characterization of the entire state of Georgia (or worse, the whole South!) based on one rural community. I'm willing to bet there's not a state in the Union that doesn't have it's share of backwoods embarrassments. Besides, characterizing a whole group based on limited experience...sounds a lot like bigotry, huh?

To the guy who says they should have used the $5000 for books instead: did you even read the article? In small towns like that, and even larger ones, the high school serves as more than a factory for churning out book-smart students. It is a part of the community. It serves to educate more than just its students, and can even be a catalyst for social change. In my opinion, history will show that those $5000 were very well-spent.

Yeah, there are still some whites who have bigotry so deeply rooted within themselves that they will fight against the current until their dying breath. Pity them, because they%u2019re fighting a losing battle. Congrats to the people of Turner County who supported a long overdue change %u2013 may it continue to grow with each coming year.

[itwasntme000]

Posted by HJGF1 at 03:15 PM : Apr 24, 2007

Your post makes me think even less of you georgians now. For one thing the community should'nt have allowed it. Second you as the students should'nt have allowed it. 3rd the parents should'nt have allowed it. Did i mention that since it was put on by YOU the students to set up the prom...That YOU are the racist ones. Yea YOU, did you ever think of this or did you just follow the tradition of ignorance, because it was the COOL thing to do or what????

[me4prezz]

While it is sad that it took this long, better late then never. I hope they had a nice prom.

[cantshutup]

How pathetic! So these loosers finally decided in 2007 to party together???? I guess they have their ignorant parents to thank for their complete ignorance...Course you can't expect much from the south, did you notice the quote from the 19 year old??? 19???? Freakin illiterate morons...The south can keep it's racism and ignorant ways...Rednecks! please...

[sandy19731]

Somebody else said it first, but really, Georgia, *** this is 2007 look at a calendar.

[susieq_13]

I'm glad they integrated. That's the way it should be. We're all human. God made us all, doesn't matter what color you are. Everyone should treat everyone the same.
Yea... I was a flower child!

[jfebiala]

That $5,000 the principal spent could been used for new books instead of an over glorified event.

[patty101558]

Congrats to the young men and women who attended the prom....our hats from Virginia are off to you...rememeber that when a tragedy strikes(like ours with Virginia Tech) the color of your skin, your race, or the amount of money your parents have mean nothing when you are faced with evil...you did great young men and ladies....and to the YOUNG MEN AND LADIES that chooses to stay away you have no idea what great things you are missing by getting to know the different cultures(their diffences but yet their similarties) believe it or not you will find out that when someone of a different race can save your parents, your wife, your children, your brothers and sisters ....then and only then will you realize that we are all the same trying to reach a common goal......THE LOVE OF GOD....God Bless

[hjgf1]

TO ALL OF THOSE WHO SPEAK POORLY OF "GEORGIANS"
WE ALL EXPERIENCE TIMES IN OUR LIVES WHEN SOMEONE OR SOMETHING IS GIVEN AN INJUSTICE AND WE ALL EXPERIENCE THESE IN OUR OWN WAYS. WE GEORGIANS DO NOT APPRECIATE THE FACT THAT WE ARE BEING STEREOTYPED BECAUSE OF WHAT ONE COMMUNITY HAS ALLOWED TO TAKE PLACE. IT IS UNFAIR OF ONE TO JUDGE ANOTHER. HOW CAN ANYONE JUDGE SOMEONE ELSE AND SPEAK SO POORLY OF THEM? HAVE YOU GOT YOUR LIFE ON TRACK AND LIVING THE "PERFECT LIFE"? UNTIL THIS HAPPENS, THE ONLY ONE TO JUDGE ANY PERSON ON EARTH IS JESUS CHRIST HIMSELF. I GRADUATED FROM A HIGH SCHOOL IN MIDDLE GA IN THE 1990'S WHERE SEGREGATED PROMS TOOK PLACE. THIS WAS NOT DECIDED BY THE PARENTS, LAW MAKERS, OR OTHER COMMUNITY LEADERS, BUT BY THE STUDENTS THEMSELVES. THE SCHOOL SYSTEM OR LOCAL GOVERNMENTS DID NOT PARTAKE IN THIS. EACH PROM WAS PAID FOR BY THE STUDENTS. THAT IS SIMPLY THE WAY THE STUDENTS WANTED IT; NOT TO SAY THAT WE DIDN'T LIKE EACH OTHER OR ANYTHING OF THE SORT. THAT IS JUST THE WAY IT WAS. SO, BEFORE JUDGING A STATE, COMMUNITY OR PERSON, TRY TO KNOW THE FACTS FIRST. THANK YOU.