Debutante Society

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Credit ncpedia.org

The North Carolina Debutante Ball at Memorial Auditorium in Raleigh, 11 Sept. 1938. Courtesy of North Carolina Office of Archives and History, Raleigh.

There is a storied part of Southern Culture that some revere and others ridicule: debutante society. The holiday season is also one of debutante balls where young women of the upper crust make their debut as legitimate members of grown-up society. The practice dates back to earlier times and - despite the changes wrought by modern times - continues. A closer look at why debutante society was important in the past and why it continues when Charlotte Talks.

Guests
Dr Cynthia Lewis - Professor of English at Davidson College
Mary Holt - Davidson College Senior and a debutante
Sara Freeman - Davidson College Senior and a debutante