Prom Night in Mississippi
A unique event was set into motion when the Academy Award winner Morgan Freeman decided to sponsor and pay for an integrated prom in his home town of Charleston, Mississippi. He was turned down once in 1997 and tried again in 2000, this time being accepted by the school board. The school of 435 students with a majority of Afro American students had never had an integrated senior prom and he wanted to give them the opportunity to participate The integrated student council did a wonderful job planning the event with courage and perseverance.
The idea of a mixed prom instead of two segregated ones brought out a lot of deeply masked racial anger and resentments from the white community with generational of prejudice. Some white parents decided to have their own segregated prom and forced attendance from their sons and daughters with threats and other types of intimidation.
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