Posted on 04/12/2004 8:43:51 PM PDT by Michael2001
LYONS - It was hard enough to choose whether to attend the white prom or the black prom at Toombs County High School, but Yuri Flores hit another roadblock after she made her decision.
When the Hispanic student and a friend tried to purchase tickets for the white prom, a girl with the prom committee wanted to know if their dates were white, black or Hispanic.
''She told me that it was a white prom - not a Mexican prom, not a black prom,'' Hart said. ''It made me feel mad. That's not right. I wanted to put my fist in her face.''
So Flores rallied their friends and formed the Hispanic/Latino Prom Com-mittee for their own celebration to be held May 8 - the day after the white students' event. Three weeks before that, black students are holding their prom.
The three separate celebrations may be a first in Georgia, where few public high schools still resist integrated proms. Johnson County High School also has held separate proms for whites and blacks, and Taylor County recently integrated its prom but then added a white prom again the next year.
Lisa Navarette, spokeswoman for the National Council of La Raza, a Hispanic advocacy group in Washington, said she never heard of three proms for one high school.
''It's unfortunate and it's sad,'' Navarette said. ''It would be very nice if people could all come together and have one prom. I hope we can work to a day where the school system would encourage that.''
At Toombs County High, racial tensions seem ever-present among the 769-student population, in which whites make up 56 percent of the population, blacks make up 31 percent and Hispanics make up 12 percent. Last year, a white student with a rebel Confederate flag bumper sticker on his truck was beaten by black students.
But Principal Ralph Hardy, who is black, says racism isn't a serious problem at his school. ''Our kids get along. We have a good student body,'' he said. ''We have a few problems, like everybody else. But it's minimal.''
Some students also downplayed racial tensions.
Stephen Foskey, who'll attend the white prom, said he gets along with Hispanics and blacks.
''I don't have any problems with them,'' he said. ''We don't really care as long as everybody gets to go to a prom. I don't think we should make a big deal out of it.''
Flores also insisted she would prefer an integrated prom but felt a Hispanic event would be the easiest solution for this year, although any race would be invited.
''It's going to be a positive thing for the community because it shows that not only can blacks and whites do good things, but that Latinos can do good things too,'' she said.
Hardy said he also would like to see students overcome their differences, but would not stop the three private, off-campus events.
''It concerns me because I just feel it would be appropriate if everybody could come together and have one 1 prom,'' he said. ''But I don't think tradition right now, and history, would allow that to happen.''
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