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The
photographs below were submitted by Sheila Green-Stevenson, a Florida
resident who grew up in Harrisburg. Sheila was more than happy to
contribute her memories of growing up in Harrisburg, and plans to send reminiscences
as she gets time to record them. This photograph of a group of young
people at their high school prom should trigger many memories for our
readers. The event is the Steelton High School senior prom, however,
at this time in history, Steelton required that white students and African
American students attend separate proms. Below that is a photograph
of the typists for The Founder, a publication of the students of
William Penn High School in Harrisburg. For the first page of photographs, featuring home
and school, please click here. To view the
high school football images, please click here.
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1956 Steel High Prom
Sheila's comments: "African Americans & Whites held
separate proms--someone should have the story behind it.
"Front row, left to right:
#1=Vivian #2=Angela #3=? #4=?
"Second row:
#1=? #2=Doris Napper #3=Barbara Fry #4=Barbara
Gaston #5=Ann Hairston #6=Ida May Drayton #7=Rosa
? #8= ?
"Third row:
#1=John Stewart #2=Robert Moffitt #3=Harding Brown
#4=Robert Archie #5=Donald Stevenson
#6=??? Scott #7=? #8= Richard Garnett
"I wish this picture had been photographed in color so the
beautiful pastel gowns , corsages and ladies could be viewed in all
their glory! The prom picture was taken by James Mitchell of
Steelton."
1956 William Penn Founder Business Staff
Typists of The Founder, publication of William Penn
High School, Harrisburg. The women in the photograph
are:
Back Row: Margie, Frances, Constance, Sylvia, Sheila & Sally
Seated: Joan, Nancy, Peg, (Rosie?) & (Alicia?).
"Mr. Ozer was head of the Business Staff, Class of
1956."
Editor's note: Click the image for a larger picture. Who
can help to identify some of the people in the photographs above? When
did the tradition of segregated proms in Steelton end? Please share your
knowledge and memories with us: Interact.
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Sources
Correspondence, Sheila
Green-Stevenson to Afrolumens Project, July 16, 24, 28, September 4, 2003.
Notes
The Afrolumens Project
extends its sincere thanks to Sheila Green-Stevenson for permission to
publish these photographs.
Memories
of the segregated dances at Steelton High School are mentioned in the
life story of Mazie Baltimore, at Dickinson College's American Mosaic
Project pages. Click
here for Mazie Baltimore's story.
For More
Information
For photos from Wickersham School, and some family photos, see
page one from Sheila Green-Stevenson.
For local high school football memories, see page
two from Sheila Green-Stevenson.
For more Steelton material, see our Midland
Cemetery pages, and the American
Mosaic Project pages about Steelton, from Dickinson College.
Several
readers have added stories about Steelton's proms, both integrated and
segregated. See letters from Calobe
Jackson Jr., and Kaye Allen.
Share
your memories about African American community life in Harrisburg--write
to us
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