# White only prom **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [May 1, 2003, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-only-prom/172443 "2003-05-01T18:53:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Tars\_Tarkas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Tars\_Tarkas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tars_Tarkas)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2003, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-only-prom/172443/1 "2003-05-01T18:53:31Z")
[A school in Georgia](http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,85737,00.html) is having an unofficial Whites Only Prom, the school has a tradition of having a Black Prom and a White Prom because they don’t like interracial dating (according to the article). It’s jarring to see that for all we’ve accomplished, we gotten so little done. Hooray for living in the 21st century! ---
**Author:** ![Zabali\_Clawbane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/ecd19e/32.png) [@Zabali\_Clawbane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zabali_Clawbane)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2003, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-only-prom/172443/2 "2003-05-01T19:17:32Z")
:eek: Un-fucking-believable! Grrr, grumble grumble… :mad: :mad: :mad: ---
**Author:** ![Indygrrl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/58f4c7/32.png) [@Indygrrl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indygrrl)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2003, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-only-prom/172443/3 "2003-05-01T19:21:20Z")
That is just terrible. I cannot believe shit like this is still going on. ---
**Author:** ![Fin\_man](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/51bf81/32.png) [@Fin\_man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fin_man)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2003, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-only-prom/172443/4 "2003-05-01T19:26:50Z")
I’m sure I’ll get a little toasted for this but I’ve read the article. It says > [@](#): > > The private prom is Friday night 50 miles away in Columbus and > [@](#): > > parents and students organized separate proms for whites and blacks after school officials stopped sponsoring dances I am completely against segregation. I wish that it wouldn’t exist and that racism was nonexistant. But this is a private party. Some students have decided to throw a party and only invite white students. This is their right. Sure, we can hate and deplore their decision but this is America and they can do this. We cannot force our views/desires on private events. What’s next, making sure any private party for students is open to all? I think not. Of course if the **school** was sponsoring a whites-only (or blacks-only) event, this would be wrong and should be stopped. The articles said fliers were passed out but nothing about posters on school walls. In my opinion, posters for any non-school event (be in segregated or not) shouldn’t be allowed on school walls. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Moto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de0a6/32.png) [@Mr.Moto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Moto)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2003, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-only-prom/172443/5 "2003-05-01T19:27:43Z")
I don’t want to endorse this, but it’s being established as a private party. Think of your own parties. Who you invite is nobody’s business. The actual prom is integrated, as it should be. ---
**Author:** ![XJETGIRLX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/9fc29f/32.png) [@XJETGIRLX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XJETGIRLX)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2003, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-only-prom/172443/6 "2003-05-01T19:30:36Z")
You know, I think that was one of the most poorly written articles I’ve read this week, and I’ve got to agree with **Fin\_man**. It’s a private party being organized by the students. On another note, why do they insist on calling the other prom the ‘black’ prom, when it states elsewhere in the article that the other prom is open to anyone? ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2003, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-only-prom/172443/7 "2003-05-01T19:34:04Z")
> [@](#): > > _Originally posted by Fin\_Man_ > I am completely against segregation. I wish that it wouldn’t exist and that racism was nonexistant. But this is a private party. Some students have decided to throw a party and only invite white students. This is their right. Sure, we can hate and deplore their decision but this is America and they can do this. We cannot force our views/desires on private events. What’s next, making sure any private party for students is open to all? I think not. Excellent rebuttal of all the dozens of people in this thread demanding that legal means be employed to prevent this segregated prom. Oh, wait, it’s not _dozens_ of posters advocating that position, it’s _no posters at all_. So, what was your point again? ---
**Author:** ![lezlers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/258eb7/32.png) [@lezlers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lezlers)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2003, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-only-prom/172443/8 "2003-05-01T19:40:14Z")
Private or not, it’s still disgusting, ignorant and so very sad. I’m flabbergasted that this shit actually goes on in this country, in this day and age. These people should be ashamed of themselves. ---
**Author:** ![Fin\_man](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/51bf81/32.png) [@Fin\_man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fin_man)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2003, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-only-prom/172443/9 "2003-05-01T19:41:36Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Miller \* > \*\*Excellent rebuttal of all the dozens of people in this thread demanding that legal means be employed to prevent this segregated prom. > > Oh, wait, it’s not _dozens_ of posters advocating that position, it’s _no posters at all_. So, what was your point again? \*\* Ok, so maybe I assumed from the comments like: “Hooray for living in the 21st century!” and “:eek: Un-fucking-believable!” and “I cannot believe shit like this is still going on” that some posters didn’t think it should happen. Maybe a wild assumption but I think it is a pretty safe assumption. And in America, there are two ways to make a change - protest or sue (and suing is winning out). So lick my sweaty nut sack. ---
**Author:** ![Garfield226](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Garfield226](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Garfield226)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2003, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-only-prom/172443/10 "2003-05-01T19:48:14Z")
> [@](#): > > As the black junior class president, her son helped organize the open-to-all prom. The class also has a white president. What’s with having a both a black and a white class president? Anyone catch that? To me, that speaks volumes about the separation in that school and in that county. ---
**Author:** ![Lamia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Lamia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamia)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2003, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-only-prom/172443/11 "2003-05-01T19:58:17Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Fin\_man \* > \*\*Ok, so maybe I assumed from the comments like: > “Hooray for living in the 21st century!” and > “:eek: Un-fucking-believable!” and > “I cannot believe shit like this is still going on” that some posters didn’t think it should happen. Maybe a wild assumption but I think it is a pretty safe assumption. And in America, there are two ways to make a change - protest or sue (and suing is winning out). > \*\* That’s a pretty big logical leap there, to infer that people want the school sued because they are shocked at the idea of an all-white party organized by students. The situation could easily be changed with no lawsuits or protests if the students at this school would just do like students at other schools across the country and just, you know, not put their energy into organizing a major segregated social event. Most young people in the US today, even those who are not exactly racially sensitive, do not expect to live in some sort of Jim Crow world where blacks and whites do not interact. I can hardly imagine what kind of backwards community this school must be in for such an idea to even occur to students. The concept is so strange to me that when I read the subject heading for this thread I assumed it would be a complaint about a prom where all the girls were expected to wear white dresses or something. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2003, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-only-prom/172443/12 "2003-05-01T20:06:53Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Fin\_man \* > Ok, so maybe I assumed from the comments like: > “Hooray for living in the 21st century!” and > “:eek: Un-fucking-believable!” and > “I cannot believe shit like this is still going on” that some posters didn’t think it should happen. Maybe a wild assumption but I think it is a pretty safe assumption. Well, no, it shouldn’t happen. I think, as a general rule, people shouldn’t be bigots. Sounds like a crazy, far-out idea, I know, but there you have it. Criticizing someones opinions or actions does not equate to forcing them to change. > [@](#): > > And in America, there are two ways to make a change - protest or sue (and suing is winning out). Sue? Who the fuck said anything, _anywhere_ about bringing up a lawsuit over this? Are you hallucinating, or just stupid? > [@](#): > > So lick my sweaty nut sack. Sorry, I don’t have sex with morons. ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2003, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-only-prom/172443/13 "2003-05-01T20:14:38Z")
We had a similar situation when I was in high school in rural Louisiana back in the early '90s. However, in our case, it was the black students that insisted on their own prom. Our class was roughly 50-50 black and white. About a week before the regular prom, the black students had a prom of their own that was more to their liking. Most didn’t go to the regular prom a week later. It wasn’t because of any racial tension, it was just that we had real cultural differences. There was a different taste in music, food and entertainment. I don’t remember anybody thinking anything of it. We had segregated schools until I started first grade in 1980 (my parents both taught at the black school) and I believe the tradition was just a holdover from that. As far as I know, they still do it that way. ---
**Author:** ![shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7ab992/32.png) [@shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shrew)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2003, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-only-prom/172443/14 "2003-05-01T20:16:31Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Lamia \* > I can hardly imagine what kind of backwards community this school must be in for such an idea to even occur to students. You’ve obviously never been to Albany, (pronounced Al-binny by the way). Albany, and other rural Georgia towns like it, still suffer under vestiges of racism that must be seen or experienced to believe. I taught in a county for three years where one of the local doctors still had a back door for his black patients…and they used it. They had been doing it for so long, they just didn’t know any differently. Atlanta is a lovely city, but anywhere outside of Atlanta is open season for racism. The only exception I’ll allow is Athens, which is a university microcosm of its own, but indeed there are remnants of it there as well. Hm, I should make a point here somewhere. This little Georgia peach isn’t batting an eyelash. Hell, I’m just chuffed the Klan hasn’t shown up in the story. They reared their ugly heads on several occasions my senior year in high school, and before you wonder what year that was, it was 1994. ---
**Author:** ![Fin\_man](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/51bf81/32.png) [@Fin\_man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fin_man)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2003, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-only-prom/172443/15 "2003-05-01T20:16:42Z")
**Lamia** and **Miller** - here is my thought process. Students in Georgia are planning event X. There is a news article about it. I believe (and I could be wrong) that the purpose of the article is to either inform or get a response. If inform, there would have been posts like “ok, good to know” or “interesting”. If to get a response, posts would have been similar to what was posted. Ok, people are pissed/upset/unhappy. When I read something that gets me pissed/upset/unhappy, I think about ways to try and stop it/fix it. Ok, I guess others don’t. Ranting without a purpose (in my opinion) is useless other than for cathartic reasons. Ok, so what can we do about this. Well, absolutely nothing. **Lamia** , how do you propose getting the students to “not put their energy into organizing a major segregated social event”? Posting here? Ok, it might work. Writing letters to the newspapers, maybe but that is a form of protest. And **Miller** as for a lawsuit - yes, it hasn’t been mention but I believe there is a good chance that somebody will try and bring an injunction to prevent the “segregated prom” of taking place. ---
**Author:** ![XJETGIRLX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/9fc29f/32.png) [@XJETGIRLX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XJETGIRLX)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2003, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-only-prom/172443/16 "2003-05-01T20:25:55Z")
The way I see it, it’s pretty much a non-issue. Like **shagnasty** , I’ve lived in areas where it was common for the black students to hold their own functions off campus. Also, like **shagnasty** , my dad works in a traditionally all-black college. I don’t see that there’s any real technical difference in the situation. If it were a school sponsored event, then there would be cause for uproar, but it’s not. Anyone who has lived in the south long enough can tell you that there are black and white cotillions, black and white colleges, hell, we’ve even got a black business caucus in the legislature. The difference is that no one is _forcing_ the kids to stay separated, they’re doing it on their own. Regardless of our thoughts on the matter, it’s really not news. ---
**Author:** ![World\_Eater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f04885/32.png) [@World\_Eater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/World_Eater)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2003, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-only-prom/172443/17 "2003-05-01T20:31:08Z")
Fucking ass backward fucks. ---
**Author:** ![UrbanChic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/9dc877/32.png) [@UrbanChic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UrbanChic)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2003, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-only-prom/172443/18 "2003-05-01T20:32:06Z")
OK, who sent Fin\_man a Jump to Conclusions Mat? Come on, fess up… ---
**Author:** ![SPOOFE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c5a1d2/32.png) [@SPOOFE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SPOOFE)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2003, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-only-prom/172443/19 "2003-05-01T21:24:31Z")
Fin\_man: I, for one, support your attempt to rain on everyone’s “Get Pissed Off Fest Of The Week”. Ignorance ain’t solved by people frothing helplessly at the mouth. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2003, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-only-prom/172443/20 "2003-05-01T21:36:44Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Fin\_man \* > \*\*Ok, so maybe I assumed from the comments like: > “Hooray for living in the 21st century!” and > “:eek: Un-fucking-believable!” and > “I cannot believe shit like this is still going on” that some posters didn’t think it should happen. Maybe a wild assumption but I think it is a pretty safe assumption. And in America, there are two ways to make a change - protest or sue (and suing is winning out). \*\* Those posters obviously DON’T think it should happen, and they are absolutely right. It shouldn’t. However, knowing it shouldn’t happen **isn’t the same as thinking the government should force it not to happen.** They have, and should have, the legal RIGHT to do it. But it’s wrong to do it all the same. See the difference? I also do not think adultery should happen. Doesn’t mean I think the government should force you not to do it. I don’t think it’s morally right to hoard millions of dollars and never give a penny to charity, but I still don’t think the government should force you to volunteer at the soup kitchen. They have a right to hold a whites-only prom in KKK hoods and gowns if they want. Hang a “nigra” in effigy, too, while they’re at it. They have the FREEDOM and the RIGHT to do any number of stupid, offensive things. And those of us with functioning brains have the right to castigate them as the filth they are. These people should be ashamed of themselves. They’ve disgraced themselves, their school, their state and their country. It’s offensive and disgusting. I wouldn’t spit on them if they were on fire. And it’s my right to say so. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-only-prom/172443.md?page=2)