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"We Did It!"
When a glittery tiara is artfully positioned in Alberson's light-brown hair, she is visibly moved. "Awesome," she exclaims softly. She has a French manicure and is wearing a gorgeous red strapless gown, which replaced her first selection after a problem with the alterations left her in tears in the dressing room.By late Saturday afternoon, the mood is exuberant in front of Mt. Olive Baptist Church, where black couples have assembled to await two super-stretch limousines accommodating nine couples each. Girls in peach, yellow, red and turquoise satin and chiffon parade in the hot sun, showing off their formal gowns to parents and neighbors. Boys, decked out in tuxes or tails, watch admiringly. Several kids throw their arms around each other, shouting, "We did it!"
The school parking lot begins to fill up around 7 p.m. as townspeople line the gym entrance to watch the couples arrive. Calvin Caton, a senior who attended the white prom the previous week, downplays its significance. "It wasn't racist. It was more just tradition. This is about school, and the school getting together to have a party."
His date, Cheryl Nichols, acknowledges that some of her white friends won't be attending tonight because their parents don't want them partying with blacks. "I think that's crazy," she says, "but they have to abide by their parents' rules."
Noriega McKellar, a black senior, couldn't care less. "This is history, baby," he shouts as he bounds toward the entrance. "Somebody had to do it. Why shouldn't it be us? I'm gonna dance with white girls and I'm gonna dance with black girls."
And that, in the end, is what happened. As hip-hop and country music blasted through the night air, everybody danced with everybody. "It was just awesome!" says Mandy Alberson, looking exhilarated as she emerges late that evening, her hairdo still intact. "Cliques were broken up. It was better than anyone expected."
James Hall is nearly delirious. "We sold about 150 tickets, and we were pleased with the turnout," he says. Some 60 percent of those who attended were black; 31 white students stayed away. Still, Hall was happy. "Everybody had a great time," he says. "Whites were dancing with blacks, teachers were dancing with kids, and Mr. Stone was even dancing with his one-year-old baby. It was more than I could have asked for."
Superintendent Jordan is beaming. "With all you hear about young people today, to see a group of students who want to do something positive like this, well, I celebrate them and what they have done."
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