Many of us know that prom is this weekend, but not many of us know where the idea of prom even came from. So, where did this iconic high school event originate, and can it be traced back to some racist, homophobic, and even sexist roots?
First of all, prom is short for “promenade” which means to take a leisurely walk or a paved walkway. Proms started out as a banquet in the 19th century that was held to celebrate a graduating class at a given school. Unlike modern times, prom was usually held for seniors in college, not high school, but eventually, prom made its way into American high school culture in the 1940s.
Prior to the 1940s, proms were traditionally held in the school’s gymnasium, but coming out of the Great Depression and World War II and into a more prosperous era of the United States’ economy, American high schools were starting to book country clubs and hotels for the occasion. In fact, in 1963, President John F. Kennedy had to reschedule a fundraiser at the Beverly Hilton all because of John Burroughs High School’s prom that was taking place on the same night. Kennedy also made a speech at the prom. One interesting destination for prom was the White House. In 1975, President Gerald Ford’s daughter’s prom was held at the one and only 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.
Nowadays, prom is seen as a time for everyone to take a break from the stresses of schoolwork and have fun with friends, but it wasn’t always welcoming to everyone. Proms were racially segregated, just like much of the United States during the 19th and 20th centuries. Some proms didn’t even allow black students at all. In 1954, proms at majority-white high schools held two proms after the Brown v. Board of Education case. White students had a “whites only” prom while black students had another, completely separate prom.
Actor Morgan Freeman offered to pay for Charleston High School’s prom in 1997 if they agreed to have one prom for everyone. Charleston High School declined the offer and held segregated proms until 2008! In Georgia, Wilcox County High School had its first integrated prom in 2013.
Prom not only excluded students of color but LGBTQ+ students too. The first openly gay men to go to prom together was in 1979. Fickle v. Lynch was a court case that was taken to the U.S. District Court all because the principal of Cumberland High School in Rhode Island wouldn’t allow Aaron Fickle to attend prom with his friend Paul Gilbert in 1980. The court sided with Fickle. Chicago Public Schools has held a queer prom. In an interview with Windy City Times, Noa Padowitz, co-founder of Chicago GSA Prom, has said “CPS allows students to bring any high school-aged partner to prom, however, due to social pressure, some students do not feel comfortable bringing same-sex or gender non-conforming partners to their home school's prom.”
Historically, prom wasn’t a place for women to challenge gender roles either. Proms of the past didn’t allow women to wear masculine clothing and held social norms of boys asking girls to prom.
Overall, prom hasn’t always been a welcoming place for all students, but it is progressing.
It's interesting to see the development of prom over the years. To hear that segregated proms persisted until the 2000s is horrifying to hear. Proms also grew more extravagant from its originally humble roots of being in gymnasiums but I personally feel as though it is unnecessary. It's also a shame that there is so much emphasis on bringing a partner. It would be nice if as fellow students we could just enjoy a leisurely event with friends.
Prom has always been an event others have looked forward to in their high school years and I did not know it was originally for college seniors. When I think of prom homophobia and racism never cross my mind and it is very upsetting knowing that prom was not all that approving of others. It is amazing to me that the first integrated prom in some places were not until 2013 and 2013 feels like yesterday. This article gave me a moment of realization that times have changed and how much prom has really evolved positively. No one should have ever felt stereotyped or discriminated for who they loved or how they looked, but this sadly still happens today. Luckily,…
I also had so many questions about prom. Why was it so important to teenagers? Isn't it just a dance you go to and play dress up with friends. Who came up with the idea of prom? Now reading this article I understand it is to have fun with friends and let all the stress out. Prom is a place where everyone welcome all races, all genders, and even LGBTQ+. Prom is one place you can be yourself and comfortable to have fun and be confident, while looking good to.
It is very important to take a step back and analyze the history of the culture we live in and this article does an outstanding job at highlighting the darker roots of prom as the history of almost everything has a nastier side to it. It was very eye-opening to read about how recently such extreme forms of racism and homophobia were running rampant in the everyday lives of high schoolers. It's astonishing to think such horrible things were commonplace around less than 100 years ago and that some of the people that experienced them are still alive today. Although these kind of issues are still very much present and relevant in today's society, I am personally very glad that…
This article is very shocking reading the history of prom. I never would have thought proms had been around for a while back. I was extremely shocked to find out segregated proms were held until 2008 ! which isn't that long ago.