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Students fight for integrated prom in Georgia county where minorities are banned from the 'white' school dance

By HAYLEY PETERSON
PUBLISHED: 18:58 EST, 3 April 2013 | UPDATED: 05:15 EST, 4 April 2013
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Institutionalized segregation was banned decades ago, but it's apparently still practiced in central Georgia - at least during prom season.
Black students and white students at Wilcox County High School have been attending separate prom and homecoming dances for decades in spite of federal laws banning racial segregation.
Now, a group of seniors is taking a stand against the practice by organizing the first integrated prom that the Macon, Georgia public school has ever seen.
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Standing up: A group of students including Quanesha Wallace, right, is organizing an integrated prom at a high school where the dances are racially separated
'We live in rural south Georgia, where not too many things change,' senior Mareshia Rucker says. 'Well, as a group of adamant high school seniors, we want to make a difference in our community.'
'Change has to start somewhere,' she adds. 'So why not with us?'
Rucker and a group of students have been planning the integrated prom, which is scheduled for April 27, since January. So far 50 students of the nearly 400 who attend Wilcox have bought tickets.
Rucker and her friends are holding fundraisers every weekend until the event to help pay for it, she says. They recently sold home-made 'chicken plates' to raise money.

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The organizers of the prom are feeling hopeful that the school is ready to tear down the prejudices that have separated their school dances for so many years.
In fact, this is the first year that Wilcox County High School has allowed for the election of a biracial homecoming king and queen.
Quanesha Wallace, one of the students organizing the integrated prom, was elected queen.
'I felt like there had to be a change because for me to be a black person and the king to be a white person, I felt like, you know, why can't we come together?,' Wallace told WGXA.
In the past, two separate 'kings' and 'queens' were chosen based on skin color. But white students and black students were still forced to attend two separate homecoming dances.

Friends: These friends, some of whom are involved in the campaign to integrate prom, have always been forced to attend prom separately
In spite of how it might sound, the school has not broken any civil rights laws because it doesn't actually sponsor the segregated prom dances - or any prom dance, for that matter. Instead, parents and students are responsible for organizing and funding the private events.
Historically, organizers of the 'white' prom have hired security personnel to make sure no dark-skinned kids get into their events.
Just last year, a biracial student was escorted out of the 'white' prom by police, according to CNN.
So there are clearly many people in the central Georgia town who aren't supportive of a prom that's open to everyone.
Student Keela Bloodworth hung posters advertising the event at school and said people have been ripping them down.
Now, the students are facing another obstacle: funding.
The school system told Rucker it will not sponsor the event because it doesn't have the finances, Rucker said.

Segregation: Black students and white students at Wilcox County High School have been attending separate prom dances for decades in spite of federal laws banning segregation
'We have not reached the financial goal that we need to sponsor this prom,' Rucker wrote on Facebook Wednesday as she asked for donations. 'With prom right around the corner, we are having to buckle down, work even harder, and give this the very best that we’ve got.'
In the same post, Rucker made a heartfelt appeal for the end of segregation in her county.
'We believe that no matter what you look like, we are all entitled to the same opportunities in life,' she wrote. 'Everyone has blue blood that runs through their veins, and when we bleed out, it turns red. There aren’t any stipulations, or strings attached.'
'This is what we want everyone to see,' she continued. 'We need people to open their eyes, and obtain more than just a view.'
Students fight for integrated prom in Georgia county


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The next thing you are going to tell me is Woman want to play in the NBA!

prom sucked anyway. I would have been fine if they banned me and I only went to after parties.

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O judgment! Thou art fled to brutish beasts,
And men have lost their reason.

Who gonna to take the unpopular side on this one?

Can't wait!

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This is my signature...

No reason to expose minorities to this...

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pathetic.

Sad this stuff still exists.

Conversation I overheard yesterday:

Lady 1: "my grandson went to prom with one of the _______ Girls." (family has 3 daughters-- 2 black girls and 1 white girl)
Lady 2: (with horrific look on her face) "are you ok with that?"
Lady 1: "Oh no honey, he went with the ok one"
Lady 2: Oh good.

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"He is a loathsome, offensive brute
--yet I can't look away."

Is this Ron Paul's district?

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You do not talk to me like that! I work too hard to deal with this stuff! I work too hard! I'm an important member of the CSFMB! I drive a Dodge Stratus!

Meh. It's gonna always be this way. Just reading YouTube comments reminds me of that fact. You guys should have seen the comments under the Michigan Avenue flash mob news story a couple of weeks ago. There were a lot of "Those monkeys need to be eradicated" comments. Hard to believe there aren't several more with that opinion. Those thoughts just aren't out in the open anymore.

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Kid Cairo's Boers & Bernstein YouTube Channel

Kid Cairo: 2013 March Madness Tournament Winner!

"Cowabunga? Cowa fucking piece of dog shit! This game is diarrhea coming out of my dick!"

That's a terrible way of thinking I hope you wont pass on to your son.




Not that this makes it better, but YouTube commenters dont represent the general populace.

Look, all I'm saying is that while things have changed in the last three decades, they still haven't changed much in the grand scheme.

I'm going to teach my son to accept or reject people based on what they show you as a person. But I will be realistic with him in teaching him that racism and prejudice are a very real part of the world we live in.

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Kid Cairo's Boers & Bernstein YouTube Channel

Kid Cairo: 2013 March Madness Tournament Winner!

"Cowabunga? Cowa fucking piece of dog shit! This game is diarrhea coming out of my dick!"

Honestly, a lot of the comments I saw reminded me of some of the stuff Chas says about Muslims. Made me very uncomfortable to read. And it also dawned on me that if Chas had any kind of power in this country, he'd be a dangerous motherfucker for all the wrong reasons.

I'm also saying that Chas unfortunately isn't the only Chas.

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Kid Cairo's Boers & Bernstein YouTube Channel

Kid Cairo: 2013 March Madness Tournament Winner!

"Cowabunga? Cowa fucking piece of dog shit! This game is diarrhea coming out of my dick!"

Singling out an ethnic group is just plain wrong.

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This is my signature...

Many people would passionately disagree with that. That's fine, but its not a fact. Just your take.



Cool, but the last post seemed to be a shoulder shrug. Like, "Meh, people are racist, whatdya gonna do?"

That's pretty much the way I feel about it now, yes. It doesn't really get much more than a head shake from me now. But that's just me though. I used to get really angry and upset and offended about that kind of stuff, but hey, I can't do anything about it so why complain?

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Kid Cairo's Boers & Bernstein YouTube Channel

Kid Cairo: 2013 March Madness Tournament Winner!

"Cowabunga? Cowa fucking piece of dog shit! This game is diarrhea coming out of my dick!"

I shouldnt have mentioned your son. My bad.

But the defeatist attitude kinda sucks.

And many people did in November 2008 and again in November 2012. Thats just one example.

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That's fair. I respect you opinion and in a strange way, I agree with you on that. My attitude does suck. I'm just desensitized to it.

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Kid Cairo's Boers & Bernstein YouTube Channel

Kid Cairo: 2013 March Madness Tournament Winner!

"Cowabunga? Cowa fucking piece of dog shit! This game is diarrhea coming out of my dick!"

See! Racism is dead!

I know that's not exactly what you're saying, but this doesn't mean there aren't still some very racist people in some very powerful places in this country.

Plus, he was non threatening mulatto. Call me when President Snipes is in office...

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This is my signature...

I have that situation come up with my daughter sometimes where she asks a question and the answer is "because people are assholes" but I try to keep it as positive as I can.

That is not really what i meant Frank. I got ya though.

I mean, some people that went thru some pretty hard fucking times would probably take exception to Cairo saying "things havent changed much"

Ivan, I never said there aren't some very racist, stupid people in this country-- both on the "white" side and the "black" side. I'm just saying that progress is being made. And continuing to be made.

Take a look at August Nat'l golf club. They had ONLY black caddies thru 1983, and now they have a female black member.

Things are moving forward. There will always be stupid people out there posting on youtube, but they are just that. Stupid people posting on youtube.

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This is just so terrible. I get what you're saying, but its just so awful that this is considered progress.

It is terrible. And it was just the first example that popped into my head because I was reading about the Masters. But it just goes to show that if a "members only" type club that had those sorts of policies not all that long ago can change their way of thinking, so can anybody.

I know the Obama thing wasn't what you really meant, but it was just an example. I'm not sure if 3 decades ago a black/mixed whatever President would have been elected.

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My girl, my son, and I were on a road trip early Saturday. We passed through Bowling Green, KY and stopped at a Speedway. Progress to me would be in not receiving the stares we got. That's all I'm saying.

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Kid Cairo's Boers & Bernstein YouTube Channel

Kid Cairo: 2013 March Madness Tournament Winner!

"Cowabunga? Cowa fucking piece of dog shit! This game is diarrhea coming out of my dick!"

No, they wouldnt have.

Jesse Jackson tried in 84 and even before he called New York Hymietown, he was not a serious contender.

See, this is where you and I differ.

Id just assume they were in awe of my good looks

Frank. There is still racism in places where it matters. Throwing people a bone isn't really a good example.

I know there has been progress. Just not enough.

...shit takes forever.

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This is my signature...

Those looks feel very different...

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This is my signature...

It's the parents and to a lesser degree the kids fault for allowing this to continue. The school or county isn't sponsoring this. They could have stopped this many years ago.

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Be well

GO BEARS!!!