Tribeca: The Debutantes Documentary Intertwines History

Yolanda Gibson
2 min readJun 11, 2024

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The Debutantes intertwines the present day and traditional history of African Americans in society. A story of an intergenerational group of Black women and girls in Canton, Ohio revitalizing the Debutante Ball, a once popular tradition of the Black middle class.

The Debutantes documentary displays the intersection of the Black middle class of then and now. Truly displaying how values have changed but some goals of African-Americans have stayed the same. Traditionally the Black middle class operated as an elite members club, only accepting those within their circle.

The Black middle class is a societal group within the African-American community that has grown significantly since the Civil Rights Movement”. Thus, the Civil Rights Movement removed barriers to receive an education which helped many black people obtain wealth, status and opportunity.

Filmed at the 2022 Cotillion, this coming-of-age film follows Canton’s first group of Black debutantes in over a decade as they prepare for their formal debut to society as young women.

Long considered a symbol of middle class respectability, a new generation of Black girls, many growing up in a post-industrial, low-income community, must decide how much of this legacy they will embrace as a pathway to traditional ideas of advancement and success.

The norms in society have changed in many ways since the era of when Cotillions were very prevalent causing the generation of that era and the current era to be divided on what should be currently acceptable.

Waltz lessons and etiquette classes clash with Gen Z sensibilities, as these high school juniors and seniors find their voices, their light and their own way forward.

Filled with footage from archival and current digital formats this documentary is telling of the times where young Black teenagers are at a crossroads in their journey to either stay in a familiar space, or change to meet the standards of the society/circle they want to be apart of.

The Debutantes is a great addition to any Women’s Empowerment group or African-American Studies Class.

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Yolanda Gibson
Yolanda Gibson

Written by Yolanda Gibson

A writer, that gets the story right.

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