Prom season kicked off earlier this month, and one Atlanta high school chose a memorable theme. The senior students at Miller Grove High School took on the theme of “Harlem Nights” for their 2025 prom last Saturday.
As Black Enterprise reported, seniors decided to record memories of their outfit transformations. One video, posted on the school’s Instagram pages, shows students transitioning from their everyday casual outfits to 1920s and 1930s-inspired cocktail attire. The video quickly gained traction and has garnered 10,000 likes so far.
Students showed off before-and-afters of their outfits across social media
“They all look really really amazing they look good,” someone commented.
“The fact that these kids are graduations and look amazing congratulate them keep the other comments to your self,” someone else wrote.
“I absolutely love the transformations !! Gotta give it up for them!!! They look so proud and happy! The young ladies looked gorgeous and the young men showed out!!! Loved them all!!!” another person added.
As the video went viral, the students featured also received some negative comments. Quickly, students themselves and viewers came to their defense.
“NO HATE TOWARDS OUR STUDENTS WILL BE TOLERATED. Please keep your bad energy to yourself!!!” someone wrote.
“All yall grown folks needs to keep yall comments to y’all selfs , making rude comments towards young adults is distasteful, most of us senior worked really hard for yall old folks to be popping it & criticizing us. We all finna graduate a continue to be popping our shi 💯❤️. Stop hating and get ready for work,” another person added.
What is Harlem Nights?
The theme is an homage to Black excellence of the 1920s and 1930s. It is a reference to the Harlem Renaissance, an artistic and cultural movement centered in the Harlem neighborhood of New York City. It is a time during which art and literature created by Black artists soared — think poetry written by Langston Hughes and Zora Neale Hurston, sculpture by Augusta Savage or photography by James Van Der Zee.
The prom’s theme is also reminiscent of the 1989 film Harlem Nights starring Eddie Murphy and Richard Pryor. It is set during the 1930s and follows the story of a gambling house owner and efforts to stay open despite gangsters, competition and law enforcement. Harlem Nights won an Oscar for best costume design in 1990.
