Good News: She stood up to racism and won! || STEVE HARVEY

hard everybody uh you know we spend a lot of time talking about the complications of racism in America but for all the controversies for all detentions there's a lot of good news out there too for instance my next guest story this inspiring young woman challenged a decades-old tradition in her racially divided community by integrating her high school prom please welcome Marie SIA but we should tell us about the community well I'm from rural Wilcox County Georgia and unfortunately my community is very racially divided we have blacks that stay on one side of the railroad tracks and whites it's on the other side we've had a long-standing tradition of separate proms we have a black prom and a white prom and I decided that that's not what I wanted to do what made you take steps towards having an integrated prom I was talking to my mother about it and I told her I wanted to have an integrated prom and she said to me are you sure and do you know what all this entails and the resistance that might come and I was because back in 1996 my grandmother was actually the first black elected school board member in the county and she had crosses burned in her front yard and knowing all of that I wasn't afraid to do what needed to be done okay when you came up with this idea in front of the other students what was their response to all of this there were some students that were like no way we're not gonna do this because our parents have made this tradition and we don't want to change there were death threats as well as parents that called you know concerned about me causing trouble in the community and even people threatening to riot but nonetheless I knew that it was something that had to be done okay not in the end you through this integrated prom how was it our prom ended up being amazing it was the best night ever we raised somewhere between two and $15,000 from donors all across the world and prom was a phenomenal experience altogether the best part of it the best part of it ended up being this big unity circle and everyone swayed to the song and you could feel the love and the unity in the room and about 40% of the white students there attended and so it was really it was amazing wow you got some world recognition fall that is hot that feel to you it was almost surreal in a sense because there were news stations everywhere that did interviews and a museum they asked if I would donate my dress and my dates tuxedo to be in there inspiring change gallery prom just it well you know you did something remarkable in your community when we come back we got something for you we'll be right back I'm back with Mauricio and inspiring young woman who integrated her high school prom Marie Shia's mom Tony is in the audience Oh Tony how do you feel about the progress that your daughters made while Ms Harvey I don't think that Webster has created words yet to express my feeling to see her and those committee members fight so hard against all the odds that were against them to see them fight so hard and continue on you know as a parent it was a really really amazing experience for me you know hatred is taught you're not born a hateful person and just to listen to your story the parents don't want it to happen so many parents you're you not have we've always had our own prom at one point in time somebody's got to go this ain't right I actually enjoy these people in my school but when it comes to prom we can't do it together and this young woman right here has found a way to do something about it and fight through the hate because these kids without their parents they okay with one another it's a shame when you got to go home and not like somebody calls it yoke your parents what what have you been doing since you graduated high school I attend the Fort Valley State University and I'm a mass communications major and with that I am wanting to become a philanthropist and also do human rights activism in order to put programs in place that will help individuals and underprivileged communities as well as next generation leaders create the change that we want to see in the world how do you I'm 20 I don't know what I was thinking at 20 but it wasn't that I can tell you that right there look you've been working really really hard for your future and we wanted to help out a little bit with you because we know that you so check this out you and your mom a new crop is really your car but your mother taking part we reached out to our friends at four and then giving you a brand-new Ford Fusion that's all right the Ford Fusion is one of the most technologically advanced cars in its class with standard features such as rear view camera and available driver assist options including adaptive cruise control plus the fusion comes which our choice of seven different powertrain options like turbocharged EcoBoost engines you ain't listening to none of this plug-in hybrid or hybrid electric whatever it is you want congratulations and thank you for more information about forward go to Steve Harvey tv.com we'll be right back you you

Channel: Steve TV Show

Views: 182,053

Rating: 4.9415927 out of 5

Keywords: Steve, Harvey, funny, humor, comedy, tv, steve harvey, steve harvey daytime, steve harvey show, Ford Fusion (Automobile Model), Racism (Quotation Subject), Prom (Film Subject), Talk Show (TV Genre)

Id: 2eXJzbn1LTs

Length: 7min 11sec (431 seconds)

Published: Fri Sep 18 2015