Prom is among the most eagerly awaited occasions for high school students, offering seniors a chance to mark their final years in school with flair, alongside friends and classmates.
Recently, online conversations have reignited around whether Black prom culture has become a bit excessive in recent times.
Each spring, the scene tends to grow more extravagant: students in custom-made gowns, couture shoes, and tailored suits arriving at their prom in luxury vehicles—premium cars, sports convertibles, and stretch Hummer limos. Many families also hire photographers or videographers to document the occasion.
But is the Black community really doing a lot these days? Is there a tad bit too much pageantry at majority-Black proms?
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Some say yes. Perhaps it’s even worse with how expensive, elaborate and extravagant the sendoffs, dresses and suits are getting nowadays.
Some say that Black prom culture has always been extravagant and over-the-top. There are those who argue that these special occasions serve as coming-of-age events for teens and that they should be allowed to enjoy themselves to the fullest.
There are others who note the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on kids who had to spend the bulk of their high-school years learning in quarantine. Some never even had proms, so these events and experiences are even more treasured.
The thing is proms — no matter the racial demographic at any school — always have been about style, extravagance and celebration.
As far as Black proms go, we’ve always been able to take an ordinary event and make it extraordinarily our own. Proms in the ’80s, ’90s, 2000s and the 2010s prove it.
These days, Gen Z is simply evolving a culture that has always existed. Yet the core trends remain the same: style, grandeur, and festivity.
I attended both my junior and senior proms. For my junior prom, a close friend and I were chauffeured by her uncle in his new Cadillac sedan. For the senior prom, my date and I joined a larger circle of friends whose parents shared the expense of renting a conventional black limousine.
There were couples and groups flaunting tailored suits and couture gowns, arriving in the newest Rolls-Royce models, Range Rover SUVs, and yes, those elongated Hummer limousines. Yet the true thrill of prom lay in who would go all out; that anticipation added to the night’s enjoyment and entertainment.
If a family can afford a glamorous and elaborate prom send-off, that decision is theirs. Such moments become opportunities to create memories, and families may shape their own traditions as they see fit.
Moreover, for those who usually arrive at school in hoodies, sweatpants, and jeans, the chance to don formal attire for a single night and look their best can be genuinely rewarding.
While there is certainly ceremony, prom never seemed to carry the formality of a pageant. There was no judgment in the air. People didn’t care about the car others arrived in or whether gowns were couture or from a department store. Of course, there was always the possibility of encountering someone else wearing the same dress and sharing a sly glance that signaled you would keep to opposite sides of the room (my junior prom around 2009 serves as memory).
The idea is that no one came to pass judgment. Everyone came to look their best, feel great, and have a fantastic time. It was simply about one night to express personal style and ingenuity.
That vibe defines nearly every Black event. It isn’t about competing with others; it’s about expressing one’s own identity. That was the mood a decade ago, and it still seems to be the mood today.
