Two queens become one

Two queens become one

In 2005, Turner County selected a single Homecoming Queen for the first time in three decades, ending a “tradition” that had been in place since 1975. According to The Wiregrass Farmer, the two-queen system began when minority students approached school administrators requesting the change; at that time, the Homecoming ballot itself was still segregated. While the ballot was later integrated, the exact year of that change remains unknown.

Originally, six students were listed on the ballot and the top two vote-getters were crowned queens. By the early 2000s, those two students were often of different races. The U.S. Justice Department ultimately determined that race appeared to be a deciding factor and instructed, through the school system’s attorney, that selecting two queens on the basis of race must stop immediately. Although officials maintained the process simply recognized the two highest vote-getters, students were notified prior to the 2005 vote that only one queen would be chosen.

Then-Superintendent Ray Jordan explained the decision plainly: “To avoid the appearance of impropriety, we decided it was in the best interests of the school system to name only one queen.”

The Wiregrass Farmer

September 27, 2006