MovieChat Forums > Prom Night in Mississippi (2009) Discussion > Constance McMillan

Constance McMillan

posted 14 years ago by canmark
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The story of Constance McMillan reminded me of the message in Prom Night in Mississippi. Here is a Mississippi school board cancelling their prom because they don't want to allow Constance to go to the prom with her female date.

It's hard to understand why adults would think that students, who sit beside each other in class every day in class, shouldn't be able to attend a dance together. It's hard to imagine why some parents and school administrators would think that people of different ethnicities or different sexual orientation who are friends and neighbors, who study side by side, who ride the same school buses, who eat in the same cafeterias, who are on the same sports teams and after school clubs... why do they think these same students shouldn't attend a social dance together?

Now there are reports saying that a private prom is being organized by parents--one in which Constance and her "gay activist" friends are *not* invited. Again, this is like the "whites only" prom that we see in Prom Night in Mississippi.

When will we learn?

USA Today (March 12, 2010): ACLU files suit against Miss. school for canceling prom
http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2010-03-11-no-prom-mississippi_N.htm

Ellen Degeneres Show (March 19, 2010): Constance McMillen Talks About Her Fight for Equality
http://ellen.warnerbros.com/2010/03/constance_mcmillen_talks_about_her_fight_for_equality_vod_0319.php?page=2#ixzz0iowA0UJL

[–] rgcustomer 14 years ago

I'd like to see a film about Itawamba, and the attacks and obstacles Constance has had to deal with. It's just shameful, and more people need to be made aware of what is going on. Frankly, I'd call it "Prom Night in Mississippi 2".

The last I heard, there was an official prom held, and Constance attended with her guest and only five other students.

The rest of the expected prom attendees didn't show. Instead they went to a "birthday party" called "Prom 2010" held in another location. They actually portray themselves as the victims, for various reasons including (1) they want the right to go to a prom without people they regard as morally inferior (2) they don't like being made to follow pesky laws preventing discrimination (3) they don't like the bright light being shone on their bigotry. I hope that light only gets brighter. The good news is that their public statements will live on the internet for a very long time, and will have a wonderful effect on their future employability. I would certainly never hire anyone involved in this level of deception, lawlessness, and bigotry.