Segregated prom
Encyclopedia
A segregated prom refers to the practice of United States
high schools, generally located in the "Deep South
", of holding racially segregated
prom
s for white and black students. The practice spread after these schools were integrated, and persists in a few rural places to the present day. The separate proms have been the subject of frequent (often negative) press coverage, and at least two movies.
in Brown v. Board of Education
, most schools in the southern United States were racially segregated. The process of integration of schools was slow, and many schools did not become integrated until the late 1960s and early 1970s. In order to avoid having to hold an integrated prom, many high schools stopped sponsoring any prom, and private segregated proms were organized as a replacement. Sometimes a concern over interracial dating
was cited as the reason for not holding a single prom. Other schools cited liability concerns as the reason for not sponsoring a prom.
In addition to segregated proms, some schools have also elected black and white homecoming
kings and queens, class officers, and even awarded separate black and white superlatives such as "Most Likely To Succeed." School sponsored separate events, including separate homecoming queens or superlatives, have been deemed to violate federal law by the United States Department of Justice
. Other schools such as Starkville High in Starkville, Mississippi, hold a single prom, except a minority king and queen are crowned. The minority king and queen are usually white, while the majority king and queen are usually black.
In 1990, The New York Times
reported that 10 counties in Georgia
were still holding segregated proms. Though the practice has been reported to be on the decline, occasional press reports seem to show it persists in some rural locations. Since 1987, media sources have reported on segregated proms being held in the U.S. states of Alabama
, Arkansas
, Georgia
, Louisiana
, Mississippi
, and South Carolina
.
When two separate proms are held for a school, generally the "black prom" is open to attendance by all students. Only the "white prom" is racially exclusive.
School alumni at schools which held segregated proms sometimes hold segregated class reunions as well.
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
high schools, generally located in the "Deep South
Deep South
The Deep South is a descriptive category of the cultural and geographic subregions in the American South. Historically, it is differentiated from the "Upper South" as being the states which were most dependent on plantation type agriculture during the pre-Civil War period...
", of holding racially segregated
Racial segregation in the United States
Racial segregation in the United States, as a general term, included the racial segregation or hypersegregation of facilities, services, and opportunities such as housing, medical care, education, employment, and transportation along racial lines...
prom
Prom
In the United States and Canada, a prom, short for promenade, is a formal dance, or gathering of high school students. It is typically held near the end of the senior year. It figures greatly in popular culture and is a major event among high school students...
s for white and black students. The practice spread after these schools were integrated, and persists in a few rural places to the present day. The separate proms have been the subject of frequent (often negative) press coverage, and at least two movies.
History
Prior to the 1954 decision of the Supreme Court of the United StatesSupreme Court of the United States
The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest court in the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all state and federal courts, and original jurisdiction over a small range of cases...
in Brown v. Board of Education
Brown v. Board of Education
Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, 347 U.S. 483 , was a landmark decision of the United States Supreme Court that declared state laws establishing separate public schools for black and white students unconstitutional. The decision overturned the Plessy v. Ferguson decision of 1896 which...
, most schools in the southern United States were racially segregated. The process of integration of schools was slow, and many schools did not become integrated until the late 1960s and early 1970s. In order to avoid having to hold an integrated prom, many high schools stopped sponsoring any prom, and private segregated proms were organized as a replacement. Sometimes a concern over interracial dating
Interracial marriage in the United States
Interracial marriage in the United States has been fully legal in all U.S. states since the 1967 Supreme Court decision that deemed anti-miscegenation laws unconstitutional, with many states choosing to legalize interracial marriage at much earlier dates...
was cited as the reason for not holding a single prom. Other schools cited liability concerns as the reason for not sponsoring a prom.
In addition to segregated proms, some schools have also elected black and white homecoming
Homecoming
Homecoming is the tradition of welcoming back alumni of a school. It most commonly refers to a tradition in many universities, colleges and high schools in North America...
kings and queens, class officers, and even awarded separate black and white superlatives such as "Most Likely To Succeed." School sponsored separate events, including separate homecoming queens or superlatives, have been deemed to violate federal law by the United States Department of Justice
United States Department of Justice
The United States Department of Justice , is the United States federal executive department responsible for the enforcement of the law and administration of justice, equivalent to the justice or interior ministries of other countries.The Department is led by the Attorney General, who is nominated...
. Other schools such as Starkville High in Starkville, Mississippi, hold a single prom, except a minority king and queen are crowned. The minority king and queen are usually white, while the majority king and queen are usually black.
In 1990, The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
reported that 10 counties in Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
were still holding segregated proms. Though the practice has been reported to be on the decline, occasional press reports seem to show it persists in some rural locations. Since 1987, media sources have reported on segregated proms being held in the U.S. states of Alabama
Alabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
, Arkansas
Arkansas
Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...
, Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
, Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
, Mississippi
Mississippi
Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...
, and South Carolina
South Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
.
When two separate proms are held for a school, generally the "black prom" is open to attendance by all students. Only the "white prom" is racially exclusive.
School alumni at schools which held segregated proms sometimes hold segregated class reunions as well.
Prior to Brown
Even prior to integration in the South, there have been instances of segregated proms being held in integrated schools in the northern United States. In the late 1920s, for example, separate proms for black and whites are recorded as occurring at Frobel High School in Gary, IndianaGary, Indiana
Gary is a city in Lake County, Indiana, United States. The city is in the southeastern portion of the Chicago metropolitan area and is 25 miles from downtown Chicago. The population is 80,294 at the 2010 census, making it the seventh-largest city in the state. It borders Lake Michigan and is known...
.
Notable cases
- Charleston, MississippiCharleston, MississippiCharleston is a city in North Central Mississippi and one of the county seats of Tallahatchie County. The population was 2,198 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Charleston is located at ....
: In 1997, actor Morgan FreemanMorgan FreemanMorgan Freeman is an American actor, film director, aviator and narrator. He is noted for his reserved demeanor and authoritative speaking voice. Freeman has received Academy Award nominations for his performances in Street Smart, Driving Miss Daisy, The Shawshank Redemption and Invictus and won...
offered to fund a racially integrated prom in Charleston, Mississippi, where he lives. The offer was turned down. In 2007, he made the offer again and it was accepted, and the school held its first integrated prom in 2008, profiled in the documentary Prom Night in MississippiProm Night in MississippiProm Night in Mississippi is a 2009 Canadian documentary film written and directed by Paul Saltzman. The documentary follows a group of 2008 Charleston High School high school seniors in Charleston, Mississippi as they prepare for their senior prom, the first racially integrated prom in Charleston...
. - Taylor County, GeorgiaTaylor County, GeorgiaTaylor County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. As of 2000, the population was 8,815. The 2007 Census Estimate shows a population of 8,738...
: In 2002, Taylor County, Georgia made international news for holding its first integrated prom, and again when a group of white students proceeded to hold a separate prom the following year. The 2006 film For One NightFor One NightFor One Night is a 2006 film is based on the true story of Gerica McCrary, who made headlines in 2002 by getting Taylor County High School in her hometown of Butler, Georgia, to integrate the prom after thirty-one years of segregation. It stars Raven-Symoné as Briana McCallister and Aisha Tyler as...
is based on these events. - Montgomery County, GeorgiaMontgomery County, GeorgiaMontgomery County is a county in the U.S. state of Georgia. As of 2000, the population was 8,270. The 2007 Census Estimate shows a population of 9,060...
: In 2009, The New York TimesThe New York TimesThe New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
and The Daily TelegraphThe Daily TelegraphThe Daily Telegraph is a daily morning broadsheet newspaper distributed throughout the United Kingdom and internationally. The newspaper was founded by Arthur B...
both profiled the racially segregated prom in Montgomery County, Georgia. - Toombs County, GeorgiaToombs County, GeorgiaToombs County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. It was created on August 18, 1905. As of 2000, the population was 26,067. The 2007 Census Estimate showed a population of 27,820. The county seat is Lyons....
: In 2004, it was reported that Hispanic students at Toombs County High SchoolToombs County High SchoolToombs County High School is a public high school located in Lyons, Georgia, USA. The school is part of the Toombs County School District which serves Toombs County, Georgia.-Athletics:Toombs County High School's sports teams are known as the Bulldogs...
had planned their own prom, and that separate white, black, and Hispanic proms would be held. The school, 56% white, 31% black, and 12% Hispanic, had been holding separate white and black proms since 1971.
See also
- Prom Night in MississippiProm Night in MississippiProm Night in Mississippi is a 2009 Canadian documentary film written and directed by Paul Saltzman. The documentary follows a group of 2008 Charleston High School high school seniors in Charleston, Mississippi as they prepare for their senior prom, the first racially integrated prom in Charleston...
, 2009 documentary that follows a group of Charleston, MississippiCharleston, MississippiCharleston is a city in North Central Mississippi and one of the county seats of Tallahatchie County. The population was 2,198 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Charleston is located at ....
high-school students preparing for their first racially integrated prom in town history. - For One NightFor One NightFor One Night is a 2006 film is based on the true story of Gerica McCrary, who made headlines in 2002 by getting Taylor County High School in her hometown of Butler, Georgia, to integrate the prom after thirty-one years of segregation. It stars Raven-Symoné as Briana McCallister and Aisha Tyler as...
, 2006 film based on first integrated prom in Taylor County, GeorgiaTaylor County, GeorgiaTaylor County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. As of 2000, the population was 8,815. The 2007 Census Estimate shows a population of 8,738...
held in 2002. - Hulond HumphriesHulond HumphriesHulond Humphries is a part-time hog farmer and former principal at Randolph County High School who caused a national controversy in 1994 and 1995 after he threatened to cancel the high school's prom due to fears about interracial dating...
, former principal in Randolph County, AlabamaRandolph County, AlabamaRandolph County is a county of the U.S. state of Alabama.Its name is in honor of John Randolph, a member of the United States Senate from Virginia. As of 2010, the population was 22,913. Its county seat is Wedowee...
who threatened to cancel the school prom in the mid-1990s to prevent attendance by interracial couples. - 2010 Itawamba County School District prom controversy2010 Itawamba County School District prom controversyThe 2010 Itawamba County School District prom controversy took place in Itawamba County, Mississippi, and began when lesbian student Constance McMillen was refused permission to bring her girlfriend as a date, and to wear a tuxedo, to the Itawamba County Agricultural High School prom...
, in which a private prom was organized by a school in order to exclude a lesbian student and her date from attending.