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First integrated prom held for Georgia school

ABBEVILLE, Ga., April 28 (UPI) -- A high school in rural Georgia held its first-ever integrated prom after years of having separate black and white proms, organizers said.

Wilcox County High School held its integrated prom Saturday at the Cordele Community Clubhouse in Crisp County, WMAZ-TV, Macon, Ga., reported Sunday.

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The county had always held segregated proms even though the Supreme Court outlawed school segregation in 1954 because the dances are considered social events sponsored by parents.

Integrated prom organizer Quanesha Wallace said she was inspired to start a new prom when she was discouraged from attending a whites-only homecoming event even though she was the homecoming queen.

She said she was pleased with the turnout of Saturday's prom, where many white students attended even though a white-only prom was still held last weekend, ABC News Radio reported.

"It turned out really well, I didn't even know this many people were coming, but I guess there was a lot of tickets being sold," Wallace, a senior, said.

The integrated prom received so much national attention, DJs from Atlanta and Texas donated music to the dance, WMAZ reported. Organizers received so many donations, they have enough left over to fund scholarships.

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