Georgia’s Republican governor won’t endorse town’s first racially integrated prom

[DonViejo]

Source: RawStory

By David Ferguson
Friday, April 12, 2013 14:20 EDT

Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal (R) has refused through a spokesperson to endorse one town’s first-ever integrated high school prom, saying that he would rather not take sides on the issue. According to Atlanta’s WMAZ Channel 13, politicians from both parties have stated their support for black and white students from Wilcox, Georgia, but Deal declined to join them.

Raw Story spoke to activist Bryan Long of the progressive group Better Georgia, whose group has asked Georgia elected officials “to publicly support the students of Wilcox County who are fighting to end a ‘separate-but-equal’ high school prom.”

“We thought it would be nice if our elected officials would support these students,” said Long. “They’re taking a great stand in their community. We thought that officials all across the state should send a message to the nation that we’ve moved beyond the racial divisions of the ’50s, ’60s and ’70s.”

\
He added, “We were surprised to read that the governor’s spokesperson said that he wouldn’t be ‘taking sides’ on this issue. I didn’t know that there were sides to take.”

Deal spokesperson Brian Robinson told WMAZ on Thursday that Deal is refusing to endorse the integrated prom because of Better Georgia’s bipartisan initiative.

“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,” wrote Robinson.

“The kids want to have an integrated prom,” said Better Georgia’s Long. “It’s the 21st Century, Gov. Deal. Get with it.”

“The fact that we even have segregated proms in Georgia in 2013 is shocking all buy itself,” he said, “but to have a governor say that he doesn’t want to support the students who are trying to change that horrible tradition? That’s just cowardly.”

“We really didn’t think this was going to be a divisive issue,” he concluded. “Plenty of Republicans have already come out to support the kids. So, for the governor, who’s supposedly an opinion leader in the state to just say, ‘I’ll sit this one out,’ well…I didn’t think that was possible.”

Wilcox High School was integrated decades ago, but parents have put up their own money for annual private parties rather than have an integrated prom. Students created a Facebook page dedicated to hosting an integrated dance and said they were “embarrassed” that no one had done it before.

NOTE: Entire article posted with peremission

Read more: http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/04/12/georgias-republican-governor-wont-endorse-towns-first-racially-integrated-prom/

[Sunlei]

1. Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal (R) is a coward, why is he afraid to 'take sides'?

“We must always take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented.” ― Elie Wiesel

[Orsino]

12. Oh, he's just taken a side, all right.

The Confederacy.

[Tender to the Bone]

2. One has to assume that Deal is a member of the KKK.

Or some sort of Concerned Citizens of America racist groups...

[RKP5637]

4. Exactly!!! ... was my first thought! n/t

[Sunlei]

13. maybe he is KKK, where is the kkk membership list? someone ask the Gov if he is a member.

[shenmue]

55. He is an idiot, that's for sure.

What an embarrassment.

[Botany]

3. What year is it now? 2013?

Even in deep red Georgia this kind of thinking is doomed by
changes in demographics and by old white rednecks dying off.

31% of Georgia is African American and a little under 10% is
Hispanic (and that % is growing)

[RKP5637]

6. It will be a far better day when the last of the old white rednecks are dead. They have done such a

disservice to this country. ... ignorant assholes.

[Sunlei]

15. The race cancer will never die when there are prom dances full of more of them.

[RKP5637]

16. Quite true it seems ... bigots and racists seem to be a regressive part of human nature. n/t

[daybranch]

56. so sad

do you believe the only way to get rid of this overt racism is to just let it go on until it dies as minorities make up a majority of the population? Are you saying there are less than 9 percent of whites that support ending these injustices? With the influx of whites to Georgia in the last several years from parts of the North, you should be able to vote this Governor out. You also should be able to do something about your racist Senators and others who depend on statewide elections. Your problem in these races is that the Hispanics and Blacks do not vote in sufficient numbers to defeat these idiots , nor do more equality minded whites and Asians.
Now as to the House of representatives, I am sure that is a different matter and is Gerrymandered to give the African Americans control of Atlanta but not much else if possible. It is tough to fight Gerrymandering in Ohio but we will do it through the Progressive petition and referendum mechanism to change our state constitution. Do you have this option? Is there a way to get one?

[Aristus]

5. He's looking to the next election.

His KKK brethren would kick him out of office if he endorsed the integrated prom. Slimy fuckwad, too stinking cowardly to do the right thing...

[HockeyMom]

7. I graduated HS in 1966 in NYC

my Prom was integrated then. My older daughter's prom on LI was GAY FRIENDLY, never mind racially mixed, in 1996. What world are they living in? Segregated proms in the 21st Century?

[TeamPooka]

8. You can't win state wide office in GA without the bigot vote.

[11 Bravo]

9. Yet another Republican profile in courage.

[Renew Deal]

10. Deal doesn't support it because Democrats are involved?

[Mr. X]

14. Really?

Your surprised at this?

It's a nationwide phenomenon - Never agree with a Democrat, never work with a Democrat, and never support anything that a Democrat supports.

To Republicans, opposing Democrats at every step - Instead of working together to make a better nation - is 'Good Politics'.

A large number of Republicans are following this ideal... Which kinda explains why this nation is going straight to shit.

[Laelth]

28. Spot on, and welcome to DU. n/t

-Laelth

[MountainMama]

52. It's true...

even the most feel-good measure possible is bad if it comes from a Democrat: http://www.azcentral.com/12news/news/articles/2012/05/15/20120515brewer-veto-volunteerism.html

[Blue_Tires]

53. No, that's just his "official" reason

Deal just prefers a Georgia where black folks know their place...

[freshwest]

11. Not taking sides? It's not your job to side with one 'side' over the the other, accept all or git.

Not unexpected from Gov. Deal (R-regressive)

[petronius]

17. Pathetic - the fact that he sees 'sides' here at all tells us what side he's on...

[etherealtruth]

21. That was my first thought: There are no "sides" here?

[sakabatou]

18. Apparently, he's still several decades behind most of the US

[firenewt]

19. But in lockstep with the Southern bigots.

[AsahinaKimi]

46. +1000

yup!

[RebelOne]

20. This is so surprising to me.

I live in Cherokee County, GA, a very red county, but I have never seen any racism here. Maybe I just have not noticed it because I am white. I live in a mobile home community, but have not seen any black families here.

[Sunlei]

29. Thats because your county was one of the ones who got rid of non-whites.

you can still see in the census the continued non-whites not welcome. That county started by getting rid of the Cherokees and then the 'free slaves' were next to get into prisons as 'slaves' or boot them out of the county.

""As of the census[6] of 2000, there were 141,903 people, 49,495 households, and 39,200 families residing in the county. The population density was 335 people per square mile (129/km²). There were 51,937 housing units at an average density of 123 per square mile (47/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 81.29% White, 5.44% Black or African American, 0.38% Native American, 2.06% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 2.61% from other races, and 1.29% from two or more races. 9.60% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.""

ref http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cherokee_County,_Georgia#Original_territory

[hrmjustin]

22. Does he really think he will loose votes if he endorses this prom?

What a real coward. I think in the most politicians are cowards but this guy takes the cake.

[Posteritatis]

34. In an environment where segregated proms are still a thing? He likely would. (nt)

[DeSwiss]

23. K&R

- Lester would have been so proud.

[Boomerproud]

24. How's that "post-racial" America workin' for ya Guv.

I want to scream every time I hear that phrase followed by "but, see, we elected a black guy!"

[ciking724]

25. Simple solution:

Everyone opposed to this type of foolishness should boycott the school district; keep their children home from school. They can organize community schools at churches and other community facilities until change is effected. Since federal school funding is tied to average daily attendance, the district will lose money, teachers and administrators will lose jobs, and the district's merchants will lose the sales dollars because of those loss jobs. It shouldn't take long for common sense to prevail.

[southernyankeebelle]

26. The republican mind at work. He doesn't want to "take sides". Well him not taking

a side shows he is taking a side. This is a no brainer the governor shouldn't ever take a side on this kind of an issue.

[Hoyt]

27. Deal was elected by yahoos in Georgia because he is a bigot. He's just paying loyal yahoos back.

[awoke_in_2003]

30. I can't believe we are still fighting this shit....

what century are we in again?

[47of74]

33. According to the fuckstick Republicans...

...the late 17th.

[neverforget]

31. Integration = publicity stunt? WTF?

That tells me all I need to know about Republicans in Georgia.

[47of74]

32. Fuck you Nathan Deal

[heaven05]

35. first ever?

Last edited Sun Apr 14, 2013, 09:52 AM - Edit history (1)

WHAT???????!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[DissidentVoice]

36. The Civil War never ended

...and it never will.

The more I see of attitudes in the old Confederacy, the more I do believe that they are a separate country.

Some oik on Yahoo! told me that "liberals are not welcome" in the South and if you are not a Republican and go to the South "don't advertise it."

I'm not hating on Southerners. My maternal grandparents were from Kentucky and Tennessee.

I know they're not all like this, but their public face sure as hell is.

I am increasingly supporting the idea of a peaceful referendum on whether or not the old Confederate states want to remain part of the USA or re-form the CSA...with the caveats that they will be completely cut off from the USA, and that all the military hardware that is based in the South does not belong to them. Nor will they be able to claim any kind of USA citizenship, nor use USA currency. This is unlike what Quebec proposes to Canada every so often (they want to be able to retain Canadian passports, currency and health care); it would be truly separation.

That sounds drastic, because it is. I would rather see them go that way rather than have a disintegration of Yugoslavia situation happening here.

[southern_belle]

37. Sounds like it's saying Georgia's governor is a rascist...

JMO but that's what it sounds like. Shocking!!!

[treestar]

38. This town had a segregated prom up through 2012?

[Posteritatis]

39. It still does - the integrated one was set up separately by some students. (nt)

[cbrer]

40. Even though I love

Savannah, I am so embarrassed by this backwards loon and his ilk.

[BrainMann1]

41. I know your not surprised

[Hugabear]

42. By not taking a side, he has taken a side.

Not surprising at all

[jmowreader]

43. Not surprising

If a Democrat were to say Georgia Bulldog football jerseys were red, 80 percent of the Republicans in Georgia would disagree with him.

[ZRT2209]

44. Deal is a racist and a pig. He even looks like a pig.

[pangaia]

45. Today's republican party in action.

[drm604]

47. Wait... "First racially integrated prom"? You accidentally posted an article from 1962, right?

Right? Please tell me I'm right.

[bluedeer71]

48. Required Listening............

Quote from article: "Wilcox High School was integrated decades ago, but parents have put up their own money for annual private parties rather than have an integrated prom." I'll bet "Dixie" is required listening at the "white but equal" prom.

[Lobo27]

49. Some people will never change, no matter what.

When I was younger, we were visiting an uncle in Arkansas. This was my first time ever traveling outside Texas, not to say Texas doesn't have its fair share of racists. We stopped at diner to get some food, so our little family of 5 went in, and were treated nice, nothing was different then from eating at a diner in Dallas. As we were getting ready to leave, and elderly women approached my mother, and grabbed her from the shoulder. She asked my mother if she was ashamed, my mother was confused, and asked if I or my brothers had done anything wrong.

We hadn't done anything wrong, the elderly woman pointed to my father, who is a Mexican. She berated my mother, and accused her of being a race traitor, and tarnishing God's perfect plan. Her family came, and got her, and they apologized to no end. They said she was stuck in the old ways. That change was not easy for people raised like her.

My mother told us to never be ashamed of who we were. We're just people who happened to be a little browner then others.

[spicegal]

50. Please explain how, in this day and age, there was even such a thing as a segregated prom, unless

this was a private school, but even then. So, in further reading, the school simply didn't bother to have proms at all, but rather white parents put up money for private events to keep out the "negroes". Wow, that is truly unbelievable. And for the governor not to take a position? He's either too racist himself, or too craven.

[SpartanDem]

51. Not all Georgia Republicans are racist

but if you're a racist in Georgia you're probably a Republican. You think the parents putting on the "white prom" are Democrats?

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

54. This shouldn't surprise anyone. I'm from Georgia originally. The state is moving backwards...

...not progressing.

All we can hope for is that demographics will change the political landscape. Other than that, I don't see things progressing for a long time. Republicans dominate all aspects of the state legislature.

[klook]

57. Wilcox County school system claims it doesn't sponsor a prom

and that there are only private parties called "proms":

Recently the high school has received some negative publicity for hosting segregated proms, but that is simply not true. The high school does not host a prom at all, and groups of students who host private parties have referred to the parties as their proms. The school sytem has no influence over private parties, but we are encouraged by recent events.
- http://www.wilcox.k12.ga.us/

Coverage from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution:

Wilcox school chief applauds student effort to integrate proms, but stresses that these aren’t school events
by Maureen Downey
Wilcox County Schools finds itself in the unflattering eye of a social media storm after reports of its segregated proms — a vestige of 1970s integration when many high schools stopped sponsoring proms and it fell to parents to organize the dances – hit the newspapers, TV stations and Facebook.

The south Georgia school system is now addressing the surge in media attention, correcting a few misconceptions. Namely, that it sponsors these black and white proms. - more