ASHBURN, Georgia (CNN) -- Students of Turner County High School started what they hope will become a new tradition:
Black and white students attended the prom together for the first time on Saturday.
In previous years, parents had organized private, segregated dances for students of the school in rural Ashburn, Georgia, 160 miles south of Atlanta.
"Whites always come to this one and blacks always go to this one," said Lacey Adkinson, a 14-year-old freshman at the school of 455 students -- 55 percent black, 43 percent white.
"It's always been a tradition since my daddy was in school to have the segregated ones, and this year we're finally getting to try something new," she said.
Adkinson's sister, Mindy Bryan, attended a segregated prom in 2001.
"There was not anybody that I can remember that was black," she said. "The white people have theirs, and the black people have theirs
. It's nothing racial at all."
Another tradition that ended this year -- having two separate homecoming queens.
In the past, two queens were chosen -- one white, one black.
But not everyone in the town of 4,400, famous for its peanuts and Fire Ant Festival, was breaking with the past.
The "white prom" still went on last week.
Nichols said while her parents were in support of the integrated prom, some of her friends weren't allowed to go.
"If they're not coming tonight it's because either they had to work and they couldn't get out of it or because their parents are still having an issue because they grew up in south Georgia," she said.
"I've asked, 'Why can't you come?' and they're like, 'My mommy and daddy -- they don't agree with being with the colored people,' which I think is crazy," she said.
When was segregation officially ended?
Anyway, glad to see some of these youngsters have moved into the 21st century! Now if we can get their parents some help.....
