Students attend school's first integrated prom

[CarMike]

http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/04/23/turner.prom/index.html
ASHBURN, Georgia (CNN) -- Students of Turner County High School started what they hope will become a new tradition: Black and white students attended the prom together for the first time on Saturday.

In previous years, parents had organized private, segregated dances for students of the school in rural Ashburn, Georgia, 160 miles south of Atlanta.

"Whites always come to this one and blacks always go to this one," said Lacey Adkinson, a 14-year-old freshman at the school of 455 students -- 55 percent black, 43 percent white. (Watch students arrive at dance )

"It's always been a tradition since my daddy was in school to have the segregated ones, and this year we're finally getting to try something new," she said. (Audio slide show: A town breaks with tradition)

Adkinson's sister, Mindy Bryan, attended a segregated prom in 2001.

"There was not anybody that I can remember that was black," she said. "The white people have theirs, and the black people have theirs. It's nothing racial at all."
Having lived in the south just about my entire life, i'm shocked to see, and to know, that this still goes on. But, it did seem like both sides were okay with the arrangements.

Yet, its nice to see the two sides can come together and have one big prom with all of thier classmates in one gathering.

[ryflan47]

That's ridiculous. I thought this was crap that happened in the 60's. Thank god that they finally did desegregate their prom.

[hail2skins]

There are some deep parts in Georgia that will make you feel you're back in those days. I went to a wedding down there and there were some high school kids getting their drink on. Let me say that this area was for the rich because the houses were sitting on acres of land. Across the street from the house we were at was a huge brand new ranch that wasn't even occupied.

I was with some friends from work and the couple that got married were folks I met through them and considered friends. Anyway, the parents of the bride had a gathering at their place before the wedding and there were these high school kids there who were friends of bride's younger. As I said earlier, they were getting their drink on. Well, we were about to leave and we were out in front of the buy the cars. One of the kids couldn't handle his liquor and was acting up. He wound up in front of the brand new house across the street and started punching the heck out of the mailbox for the house. He destroyed it while everyone looked on. My friends I were went said let's get out of here but we were waiting for our driver. The kid came back across the street stumbling all over the place and got near us and said "this is a nice car". Then he proceeded to say "is it that n's car". Before I could do anything people were grabbing me and I'm like lets get the heck out of hear (not exactly the language I used though).

Everything was quiet at that point and our driver was livid. he came out in time to hear that and I'm going let's get out of here and he's like NO, I have to do something. I told him to leave it alone because one or several of us could end up in jail and he said he forgot something in the house. He went back in and came back out after about 15 minutes. We got in the car and left. It was a quiet ride until someone said "Welcome to the South Mike". We laughed and moved on.

During this incident there were a lot of folks who were mad at the comment and wanted to tell the bride and groom but I told them not to do it. I didn't want to mess up their weekend and chalked it up to a dumb ass high school kid. I wanted to take his head off but being were I was, more harm would have come to me if I had. LESSON LEARNED.

Several months later, I was hanging out with the bride and groom at a function. He local alumni were having a gathering and he invited us all because we normally did happy hours on Friday. The bride grabbed me and said let's dance and I said ok. She said I haven't seen you since the wedding and wanted to know if you had a good time. I said well, I did have a good time but there was this incident and before I could get it out, she was apologizing. She told me that my friend, who said he forgot something in the house, went back in and told everyone what had happened. She said her father was very upset and talked with the kid a couple of days later. The kid told him oh, we do that all the time at school, it's no big deal and the father said something to him like he doesn't care what you do in school, you don't do that in my home. Someting to that affect. I told her to forget about it and she said she couldn't. I did get a call from her parents about the situation letting me know they didn't like it all.

Sorry to ramble on but this thread bought that story up.

[akhhorus]

"The white people have theirs, and the black people have theirs. It's nothing racial at all."

Dumb redneck.

This is a disgrace that this was still going on.

[WarEagle]

When the black kids hear Kenny Chesney music at the new, integrated prom, they'll want to revert back to segregated proms. ;)

That's a terrible story about the wedding party incident. Sounds like the adults tried to make it right, though.

[smoak]

As sad as it is, I hope this is something that sticks. I'm really shocked.

[shally]

There are some deep parts in Georgia that will make you feel you're back in those days. I went to a wedding down there and there were some high school kids getting their drink on. Let me say that this area was for the rich because the houses were sitting on acres of land. Across the street from the house we were at was a huge brand new ranch that wasn't even occupied.

I was with some friends from work and the couple that got married were folks I met through them and considered friends. Anyway, the parents of the bride had a gathering at their place before the wedding and there were these high school kids there who were friends of bride's younger. As I said earlier, they were getting their drink on. Well, we were about to leave and we were out in front of the buy the cars. One of the kids couldn't handle his liquor and was acting up. He wound up in front of the brand new house across the street and started punching the heck out of the mailbox for the house. He destroyed it while everyone looked on. My friends I were went said let's get out of here but we were waiting for our driver. The kid came back across the street stumbling all over the place and got near us and said "this is a nice car". Then he proceeded to say "is it that n's car". Before I could do anything people were grabbing me and I'm like lets get the heck out of hear (not exactly the language I used though).

Everything was quiet at that point and our driver was livid. he came out in time to hear that and I'm going let's get out of here and he's like NO, I have to do something. I told him to leave it alone because one or several of us could end up in jail and he said he forgot something in the house. He went back in and came back out after about 15 minutes. We got in the car and left. It was a quiet ride until someone said "Welcome to the South Mike". We laughed and moved on.

During this incident there were a lot of folks who were mad at the comment and wanted to tell the bride and groom but I told them not to do it. I didn't want to mess up their weekend and chalked it up to a dumb ass high school kid. I wanted to take his head off but being were I was, more harm would have come to me if I had. LESSON LEARNED.

Several months later, I was hanging out with the bride and groom at a function. He local alumni were having a gathering and he invited us all because we normally did happy hours on Friday. The bride grabbed me and said let's dance and I said ok. She said I haven't seen you since the wedding and wanted to know if you had a good time. I said well, I did have a good time but there was this incident and before I could get it out, she was apologizing. She told me that my friend, who said he forgot something in the house, went back in and told everyone what had happened. She said her father was very upset and talked with the kid a couple of days later. The kid told him oh, we do that all the time at school, it's no big deal and the father said something to him like he doesn't care what you do in school, you don't do that in my home. Someting to that affect. I told her to forget about it and she said she couldn't. I did get a call from her parents about the situation letting me know they didn't like it all.

Sorry to ramble on but this thread bought that story up.

sorry.. so sorry.. i thought we were past that kind of crap

[CarMike]

"The white people have theirs, and the black people have theirs. It's nothing racial at all."

Dumb redneck.

This is a disgrace that this was still going on.
The part that really surprised me was that BOTH, the white and black communities were okay with the setup. The article stated that the schools population was 53% black and 47% white.

Reason for quoted part akh, why is the kid who said that called a "dumb redneck" when both communities were okay with the old setup?

Just wondering.

[RedskinsDave]

Glad to see them ahead of the game.

Sincerely,

1954

[Spence]

These kids didn't object too much to the segregated proms because they didn't know any better or any different. They're kids. The fact that their parents organized these things is a disgrace.

I'm not saying we should issue licenses to breed, but clearly some dumbasses are having kids that shouldn't be having kids.

[dj_stouty]

I'm not saying we should issue licenses to breed, but clearly some dumbasses are having kids that shouldn't be having kids.

Parent Licenses. Hmm...Not a bad idea! ;)

[Keino]

Parent Licenses. Hmm...Not a bad idea! ;)

Only if it comes with a progressive tax....l:)

[Ibleedburgundy]

Students of Turner County High School started what they hope will become a new tradition: Black and white students attended the prom together for the first time on Saturday.



uhhh good for them I guess? holy cow.

[CNYSkinFan]

H2S,,I was really sad when I read your story and sadder when I read that the people there held you back. Every now and then someone ignorant needs to get beat down for the sake of justice. That kid should have been beat down. Ignorant crap like that deserves fist justice. Sorry that is how i see it.

[Patrick]

I'm not saying we should issue licenses to breed, but clearly some dumbasses are having kids that shouldn't be having kids.

As ludicrous as the idea may sound – it would go along way in improving our society as a whole.

[akhhorus]

The part that really surprised me was that BOTH, the white and black communities were okay with the setup. The article stated that the schools population was 53% black and 47% white.

Reason for quoted part akh, why is the kid who said that called a "dumb redneck" when both communities were okay with the old setup?

Just wondering.

It had to do with her quote. She said that there was 'nothing racial' to the fact that one race had their prom, the other had another one. Thats the very definition of a racial issue.

[Ibleedburgundy]

As ludicrous as the idea may sound – it would go along way in improving our society as a whole.

Ever seen the movie "Idiocracy?" Not a good movie but the concept was hilarious. Basically, stupid people have ten children while intelligent folks only have 1 or 2, or none. The movie takes place 500 years in the future and only stupid people remain.

[WarEagle]

It had to do with her quote. She said that there was 'nothing racial' to the fact that one race had their prom, the other had another one. Thats the very definition of a racial issue.

What the kid probably meant is that the prom was no different from church on Sunday. Segregated and both races were cool with it. If segregation lacks animosity to one or the other race, what can you do?

[akhhorus]

What the kid probably meant is that the prom was no different from church on Sunday. Segregated and both races were cool with it. If segregation lacks animosity to one or the other race, what can you do?

Except that its impossible to have segregation without animosity. Thats human nature. I don't believe that both groups were happy about this.

[dukeuch]

What the kid probably meant is that the prom was no different from church on Sunday. Segregated and both races were cool with it. If segregation lacks animosity to one or the other race, what can you do?

And apprently both races were not cool with it, because now they have an integrated prom. Maybe there IS hope for the youth of today.

[OCSkinzFan]

Except that its impossible to have segregation without animosity. Thats human nature. I don't believe that both groups were happy about this.
So white and black churches have animosity toward each other?

And what about the Congressional Black Caucus, they have "animosity" toward the rest of Congress?

And it's because of "human nature?"

[WarEagle]

Except that its impossible to have segregation without animosity. Thats human nature. I don't believe that both groups were happy about this.

I have to disagree. For instance, the Masons have a white order and a black order. Blacks can join the white order, of course, but they don't want to. There are countless other examples of victimless voluntary segregation in our American society. The prom example stands out because they're kids at a public school in the deep south. It just looked bad.

[akhhorus]

I have to disagree. For instance, the Masons have a white order and a black order. Blacks can join the white order, of course, but they don't want to. There are countless other examples of victimless voluntary segregation in our American society. The prom example stands out because they're kids at a public school in the deep south. It just looked bad.

There's a difference between a private organization and a school sponsored activity. If you want to segregate yourself to just your specific group in your private life: fine. But a school tradition in which the single school where all the students go to has the races are separated for a school activity is racial and discriminatory in nature.

[OCSkinzFan]

There's a difference between a private organization and a school sponsored activity. If you want to segregate yourself to just your specific group in your private life: fine. But a school tradition in which the single school where all the students go to has the races are separated for a school activity is racial and discriminatory in nature.
The dances were not school sponcered.
In previous years, parents had organized private, segregated dances

[akhhorus]

The dances were not school sponcered.

But its still not a 'private' function. Its an activity for the members of an integrated public school--organized by the parents or not.

[shally]

Ever seen the movie "Idiocracy?" Not a good movie but the concept was hilarious. Basically, stupid people have ten children while intelligent folks only have 1 or 2, or none. The movie takes place 500 years in the future and only stupid people remain.

go to any mall.. you can see it is real.

one of my wife's favorite movies... she kept trying to get me to see it and finally rented it for us.. it was both hysterical and true at the same time

now whenever we are in a diner and we see stuff like that we just mutter "idiocracy" to ourselves