Gwinnett Politicians Take Stand on Segregated Proms

Former Snellville council member and the Republican executive director of the Georgia Commission of Equal Opportunity Melvin Everson took a stance on the lack of an integrated prom at Wilcox County High School in Rochelle, Ga. 

It all started when four girls-- Stephanie Sinnot, Mareshia Rucker, Quanesha Wallace, and Keela Bloodworth-- took a stand against their school's practice of having two proms - one for white kids and one for non-whites. 

The girls, two black and two white, would not have been able to attend prom together.

"We live in rural south Georgia, where not too many things change," the girls wrote on a Facebook page dedicated to an integrated prom. "Well, as a group of adamant high school seniors, we want to make a difference in our community. For the first time in the history of our county, we plan to have an integrated prom." 

The dances are sponsored by parents, not the school board. This year, the school held their first integrated homecoming dance and elected a black homecoming Queen. She couldn't attend the white homecoming dance, though, according to Channel 11. 

"Hearing from other students that I couldn't, they didn't want me to go, it kind of saddened my heart a little," said Quanesha Wallace in an interview with Channel 11.

Wallace and her friends subsequently organized an integrated prom, which will take place on April 27. She said that around half of the school has elected to attend their prom instead of the "white only" prom.

Now, back to Melvin Everson. He's a Wilcox County native, and on April 5 posted the following to his Facebook page: 

I have spoken to many leaders in Wilcox and they very much want one single prom for all students. According to my sources, no one was turned away from attending any one of the proms. I graduated from Wilcox High in 1975 and did not experience the prom atmosphere because one wasn’t held. 

I am willing to help fund one single prom for all students that will be an evening to remember. I call upon all those from Wilcox to help make this a reality. Please do not allow the media to present Wilcox as a backward, backwood[s] County. I am proud of my birth county and all the citizens who live there. Come on Wilcox, let’s show this state, this country, and the world, that Wilcox is bigger than this. Let’s Go Wilcox! Let’s make it happen with class!

Better Georgia, a progressive, left-leaning organization, issued a statement on April 10 asking that the governor and members of Congress "open their campaign coffers." 

"These students in Rochelle, Georgia are trying to drive a nail in a very old coffin," part of the statement read. "Let’s show the nation that, when they needed our help to wield the hammer, we came."

The governor, however, isn't impressed. After Better Georgia's call to action, Deal's spokesperson, Brian Robinson, issued a statement saying that "this is a leftist front group for the state Democratic Party and we're not going to lend a hand to their silly publicity stunt."

The following public officials have followed in Everson's steps and issued statements of support for the students at Wilcox County High, according to Better Georgia:

• State Sen. Steve Henson, Senate Minority Leader (D – Tucker)
• State Sen. Vincent Fort (D – Atlanta)
• Rep. Ed Lindsey, House Majority Whip (R – Atlanta)
• Rep. Stacey Abrams, House Minority Leader (D – Atlanta)
• Rep. Buzz Brockway (R – Lawrenceville)
• Rep. Stacey Evans (D – Smyrna)
• Rep. Virgil Fludd (D – Tyrone)
• Rep. Brett Harrell (R – Snellville)
• Rep. Scott Holcomb (D – Atlanta)

The Georgia NAACP has also been involved in helping the students and have requested that the school host an integrated, official prom in 2014. According to the Huffington Post, the school is considering it.