Hi friends & family. This is a petition to end the Hoover Belles in Hoover, AL. I grew up in Hoover and took part in this organization when I was a teenager. Dressing up in antebellum costumes is racist and does not represent the welcoming and diverse Hoover community. 

What is the organization: The Hoover Belles is a group of women that volunteer as hostesses to be the face of the City of Hoover. The group dresses up in Antebellum costumes, large dresses with hoop skirts, worn during a time before slavery was abolished in the South. When I was in high-school, the group was prestigious, competitive, and around 95% white. There are similar organizations in cities throughout the Birmingham metro area. 

Why this is not ok: Dressing up teenaged girls in antebellum dresses and presenting them as the face of the city of Hoover does not create a welcoming environment for people of color. This is not aligned with our values as a community. 

What I recommend: Replace the Hoover Belles with a non-antebellum themed volunteer group where Hoover students of all sexes, races, and backgrounds are welcome to join and represent the city.

Credit to Emily and her effort to abolish the Birmingham Belles. See link: https://www.change.org/p/birmingham-belles-nomorebelles

Please sign the petition so that our community can eliminate the Hoover Belles and move forward together.