And you say Bill Oreilly is racist huh...

[mr mahs]

Racism rears its head

at an all-white prom

Put yourself in the shoes of a 17-year-old black student at Taylor County High School in Butler, Ga., about 150 miles south of Atlanta. For weeks you watch the news and see an integrated American military machine take apart Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein's regime. You read on the BlackAmerica Web site that about 18% of U.S. casualties in Iraq were African-American. You see the country celebrating a great victory and waving the flags of patriotism.

Then you come to school and find out some students in your class are holding an all-white prom.

How would you react if you were that kid? You can't sue because the event is being held off-campus. It's a private party, and no person of color is welcome. Yet the party is being held under the banner of Taylor High's junior prom. Yes, there is an alternative prom where everyone is welcome, but still a number of your classmates do not want to celebrate with you.

The night the all-white prom happened, May 2, I sent a producer and camera crew to interview the all-white partygoers. Guess what? None of them would talk to us. Neither would the adults who chaperoned the event. But the students did express themselves in another way - they made a wide variety of obscene gestures in front of the camera.

Now, this white prom nonsense is a small story on the landscape of America. But what is not a small story is the way the powers that be in Georgia reacted. The principal of Taylor High, Bonnie Branan, would not comment publicly. The superintendent of schools, Wayne Smith, told me the prom was legal and that's that.

And the governor of Georgia, Sonny Perdue, sent his press secretary out to say he was "disappointed" in the event.

But Perdue would not answer questions or condemn the prom. His spokeswoman says he is too busy. In reality, he is hiding.

So if I'm a 17-year-old black student, I am getting the message. Nobody in power is on my side. Nobody is willing to state that a segregated school event in the year 2003 is unacceptable behavior. Nobody really cares.

Stunningly, some people criticized me for even talking about the story. The rationalizations came so fast I thought I was playing goalie for the Philadelphia Flyers. "Blacks have private events, too." "How dare you criticize the governor, he doesn't answer to you." "You are anti-South!"

The issue, of course, was never addressed. So here it is in black and white: Holding an event organized within a public school that excludes students on the basis of skin color, ethnicity, religion or any other defining characteristic is cruel, un-American and should be condemned by all responsible public officials, including teachers and administrators. Got it?

Here's what I don't get: What is it about the UNITED States that folks don't understand? United means we are all in this together. The killers on 9/11 were after Americans of all colors. The soldiers who are defending us against those killers and their enablers are all colors. So why are we dancing around this prom issue?

Americans who love their country will speak out against injustice and cruelty to fellow citizens, especially children and teenagers. That 17-year-old black student at Taylor High has been taught a lesson that will stay with him the rest of his life. And that lesson is that skin color can disqualify you from attending a social event.

The night of that all-white prom was, indeed, a rainy night in Georgia.

[kramadas]

Damn thats pretty bad!

[pumavisor808]

why is it when a group of white people try to hold something for just their heritage it is racist. But when a group of blacks, asians muslims or whatever get together it's fine and acceptable.

You read on the BlackAmerica Web site that about 18% of U.S. casualties in Iraq were African-American.

What were the other 82% of the casualties...

Not trying to start shit, but no-on ever thinks from this point of view...