An Integrated Prom a First in Mississippi
July 21st 2009 21:16
Last night, while searching for something to watch, I came across HBO's incredible documentary films series. This particular one was titled 'Prom Night in Mississippi', directed by Paul Saltzman. Now right off the bat, I was thinking what's soo special about a Prom night period, but especially in Mississippi. Well, I tuned in and find out why. Acclaimed actor, Morgan Freeman, was born and raised in the small town of Charleston, Mississippi and now has returned to his roots and makes his home where he grew up. In 1997, he offered to pay for a prom at Charleston High School on one condition: That they hold an integrated prom instead of a separate white and black prom, as has been practice since the school was officially integrated in the 1950s pr 1960s.
Now, I know what you're thinking, if you're in the mindset I was when I got a full grasp on the reasoning for the kind monetary offer on Mr. Freeman's part. Why, in 1997, were they still holding segregated proms, and why is this still an issue when this documentary was being filmed in 2008? Well, to my surprise, it wasn't so much the students who wanted to continue on this sad and pathetic path, but more so the Tallahatchie County School Board and the parents, who wanted to keep their kids, not from mingling in classrooms and sports, but from mingling during Prom! In 1997, Mr. Freeman's offer was turned down for fear of change and obvious appearances of bigotry. In 2008, Mr. Freeman made the offer again, but this time, he questioned the students instead of just heading directly to the School Board. Instead of being met with the same opposition as with his previous attempt, he was greeted with excitement and enthusiasm from the senior class to have their first, their FIRST integrated prom.
As various seniors were interviewed and their actions followed by the film crew, it was made very clear that 'race mixing' (as it's referred to by die hard southerners) was just something that was dealt with to a certain extent because legal segregation was eradicated over 30 years ago. But in Charleston, black folks stay to black folks and white folks stay to white folks, especially during Prom for fear of mingling leading to dancing, dancing leading to interracial coupling, interracial coupling leading to (gasp, dare I say it) interracial children!! Now I'm not sure about anyone else, but Prom meant nothing more to me than a last hoorah with my friends and a chance to get all dolled up for my date and pictures and a hope of being crowned Prom Queen. It never would have dawned on me to subject my child to a segregated dance because of a deep rooted fear of the unknown for letting my son dance with a white girl or my daughter dance with a white boy!
It's 2009, and I know the south, in some parts will always still be THE SOUTH, but good grief. Are people still soo narrow minded and ignorant to actually see themselves on this documentary and not realize the harm they've caused their children and community by instilling hatred through a dance? While listening to white teenagers use the 'N' word as if it's the newest slang to describe what they're parents have and continue to teach them about their classmates, I had to do a reality check by switching channels and then coming back to make sure that I hadn't morphed into someone sitting in a Jim Crow era. My Mother, who actually had no choice but segregation and was used to being called the the 'N' word or 'colored' was even flabbergasted to hear kids 11 years younger than myself speak as their grand parents and great grandparents probably did growing up in Mississippi. It made me almost ashamed to be an American in our country with our first African American President in office, but still having segregated proms! What in the world is really going on?? As tears filled my eyes at the disgust and anger I felt for these kids being subjected to this, they were quickly turned into tears of joy as stretch limos proceeded to pick up couples, both black and white, in their finest attire heading to their senior prom.
The kids who attended made history by simply dining with and dancing with their classmates to an eclectic mix of music, taking pictures with their camera phones, and being 17 and 18 year olds heading into the real world outside of their high school days of sports and superlatives. There were no race riots, there was no name calling, there weren't even angered parents protesting outside. It was simply a Senior Prom, as it should be. Although some white parents still held strong to their separatism by hold their annual white only prom, the integrated prom was a success and hopefully will continue with classes to come. My only hope and wish for these kids, and others that are probably in other closed minded towns, is that life is too short to spend hating someone for a reason unknown besides skin color. I know its human nature to not like something that's different from what you're accustomed to, but we live in such a diverse country with soo many diverse cultures besides just black and white, that it's ridiculous to want to only be exposed to or spend your time knowing your own kind. I hope these kids learned from this dance of life that there's a world outside of Tallahatchie County and Charleston High School thinking, and that they don't continue the distorted thinking that they were passed along. Maybe, it was left on the dance floor amongst crumpled streamers and the tears of graduating seniors beginning a new chapter in their lives.
Kudos to Mr. Saltzman and HBO for bringing to light this story. Kudos to Mr. Freeman for offering his checkbook and his personal insight into opening the eyes of this community towards their silliness. And especially kudos to the teenagers who decided to break the remaining chain of segregation and deciding to have a dance!
Now, I know what you're thinking, if you're in the mindset I was when I got a full grasp on the reasoning for the kind monetary offer on Mr. Freeman's part. Why, in 1997, were they still holding segregated proms, and why is this still an issue when this documentary was being filmed in 2008? Well, to my surprise, it wasn't so much the students who wanted to continue on this sad and pathetic path, but more so the Tallahatchie County School Board and the parents, who wanted to keep their kids, not from mingling in classrooms and sports, but from mingling during Prom! In 1997, Mr. Freeman's offer was turned down for fear of change and obvious appearances of bigotry. In 2008, Mr. Freeman made the offer again, but this time, he questioned the students instead of just heading directly to the School Board. Instead of being met with the same opposition as with his previous attempt, he was greeted with excitement and enthusiasm from the senior class to have their first, their FIRST integrated prom.
As various seniors were interviewed and their actions followed by the film crew, it was made very clear that 'race mixing' (as it's referred to by die hard southerners) was just something that was dealt with to a certain extent because legal segregation was eradicated over 30 years ago. But in Charleston, black folks stay to black folks and white folks stay to white folks, especially during Prom for fear of mingling leading to dancing, dancing leading to interracial coupling, interracial coupling leading to (gasp, dare I say it) interracial children!! Now I'm not sure about anyone else, but Prom meant nothing more to me than a last hoorah with my friends and a chance to get all dolled up for my date and pictures and a hope of being crowned Prom Queen. It never would have dawned on me to subject my child to a segregated dance because of a deep rooted fear of the unknown for letting my son dance with a white girl or my daughter dance with a white boy!
It's 2009, and I know the south, in some parts will always still be THE SOUTH, but good grief. Are people still soo narrow minded and ignorant to actually see themselves on this documentary and not realize the harm they've caused their children and community by instilling hatred through a dance? While listening to white teenagers use the 'N' word as if it's the newest slang to describe what they're parents have and continue to teach them about their classmates, I had to do a reality check by switching channels and then coming back to make sure that I hadn't morphed into someone sitting in a Jim Crow era. My Mother, who actually had no choice but segregation and was used to being called the the 'N' word or 'colored' was even flabbergasted to hear kids 11 years younger than myself speak as their grand parents and great grandparents probably did growing up in Mississippi. It made me almost ashamed to be an American in our country with our first African American President in office, but still having segregated proms! What in the world is really going on?? As tears filled my eyes at the disgust and anger I felt for these kids being subjected to this, they were quickly turned into tears of joy as stretch limos proceeded to pick up couples, both black and white, in their finest attire heading to their senior prom.
The kids who attended made history by simply dining with and dancing with their classmates to an eclectic mix of music, taking pictures with their camera phones, and being 17 and 18 year olds heading into the real world outside of their high school days of sports and superlatives. There were no race riots, there was no name calling, there weren't even angered parents protesting outside. It was simply a Senior Prom, as it should be. Although some white parents still held strong to their separatism by hold their annual white only prom, the integrated prom was a success and hopefully will continue with classes to come. My only hope and wish for these kids, and others that are probably in other closed minded towns, is that life is too short to spend hating someone for a reason unknown besides skin color. I know its human nature to not like something that's different from what you're accustomed to, but we live in such a diverse country with soo many diverse cultures besides just black and white, that it's ridiculous to want to only be exposed to or spend your time knowing your own kind. I hope these kids learned from this dance of life that there's a world outside of Tallahatchie County and Charleston High School thinking, and that they don't continue the distorted thinking that they were passed along. Maybe, it was left on the dance floor amongst crumpled streamers and the tears of graduating seniors beginning a new chapter in their lives.
Kudos to Mr. Saltzman and HBO for bringing to light this story. Kudos to Mr. Freeman for offering his checkbook and his personal insight into opening the eyes of this community towards their silliness. And especially kudos to the teenagers who decided to break the remaining chain of segregation and deciding to have a dance!
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Comment by Penelope Quaife