Life of the Black Bourgeoisie

I wrote this a couple of years ago for  Stuff Educated Black People Like.  I don't even know if they ever used it or whether the site still exists. Any way it's about a cultural celebration sometimes held in African-American communities. Give it a read.

Cotillions (Debutante Balls)

 

If there’s one thing that EBP like, it’s the feeling that they have finally “made it.” The second thing they like is making sure OTHER people know they’ve made it.  One way that EBP do this is through the tradition of having cotillions or depending on where you are from, they may be referred to as debutante balls. 

A cotillion is a pageant-like event that serves as an official “coming out” into society.  Usually reserved for the teenage daughter of an EBP, the cotillion is ripe with expensive gowns and other examples of what EBP can do once he/she gets some money.  Usually sponsored by an African-American sorority (Delta Sigma Theta, Alpha Kappa Alpha), the cotillion is one of the premier social events of the year within the EBP community.   

The way it works is the daughter of an important EBP (usually a doctor, lawyer, some other high profile person) sends in an application.  The application usually carries a fee (this is to weed out any UEBP who can’t afford it).  Next, the young lady and her mother begin shopping for an expensive gown.  In the meantime, the family will solicit other EBP whom they know to be sponsors, who for anywhere from $10-$200, can get their name, picture, or business card printed inside of the event’s annual program.  Getting sponsors is a very important part of the process, because regardless of what anybody says, the girl who raises the most money usually wins.  Finally, the young lady will select a male escort, definitely the son of another EBP, to accompany her to the cotillion.  Now it’s showtime!

The cotillion itself may begin with several speakers, and then the young ladies and gentlemen might perform some kind of choreographed dance routine, such as the waltz.  This shows that even the children of EBP have class.  Next, is the talent portion, where the young ladies will showcase one of their skills.  This is an opportunity to show the other EBP in the room that they can afford dancing, singing, or violin lessons for their little princesses. 

Finally, the judges get together to choose the winner.  Competition is everything amongst EBP, so this is very important.  Never mind how their daughter will feel, but should she win, they will be able to brag about this to their EBP friends for an entire year.  In all, who knows how much fun a cotillion is? 

The most important thing for the EBP is to be there.