BRIDGERTON WAS THE THEME: For 10 aspiring 12th-grade girls, including Madison Greene, Nikia White, Wisdom Pinkney, Tiffani Davis and Maryse Jean-Baptiste, who spent a year being mentored and introduced to etiquette and friendship bonding, then were awarded scholarships and presented to society as debutantes. PHOTO COURTESY OF FJBWC

Boca Raton – The Bridgerton British nobility was the theme for the 56th annual Frances J. Bright Woman’s Club (FJBWC) Debutante Cotillion held at the Woodfield Country Club in Boca Raton

The cotillion is a time-honored tradition of a formal ball that emerged in 18th-century France and spread to Great Britain, eventually crossing the pond to America and officially began appearing in the African American community in late 19th century.

Alisson Sealy served as the cotillion chairwoman. The cotillion’s emcee was debutante alumna Principal Sandra Edwards of Atlantic Community High School of Delray Beach. The guest speaker was FJBWC debutante alumna and millennial LeChara Pryor who is a licensed mental health counselor associate and a doctoral candidate in Clinical Psychology at Seattle Pacific University.

Ten aspiring 12th grade girls, all formally gowned in white, were presented to society as debutantes and were awarded scholarships from the Frances J. Bright Woman’s Club Charitable Foundation. The students spent a year being mentored, introduced to etiquette, friendship bonding, and embarked on the Taste History Art & Culture Study Tour that led them on their first Brightline Train ride to Historic Overtown Miami and the Perez Art Museum (PAMM).

The debutantes from Palm Beach County and Broward County schools presented at the cotillion are Tramaia Bell, Tiffani Davis, Madison Greene, Phoenix Hart, Kaylee Isen, Maryse Jean-Baptiste, Ludine Lolo, Zana Maddox, Wisdom Pinkney and Nikia White.

The Frances J. Bright Woman’s Club (FJBWC) is a 100% volunteer organization and named in honor of Frances J. Bright, an African American educator who came to Delray Beach, Florida in 1899 to teach at “colored” school #4 that was established in year 1895 on historic NW 5th Avenue in Delray Beach. It was the first public school in Delray Beach.

Mrs. Bright was the first Black public-school teacher in Delray Beach. The school was a part of the Dade County Public School System at that time because Palm Beach County was not incorporated as a separate county until 1909.

At the fun evening April 27 there were raffle items from Lilly Pulitzer and the Voracious published soul food cookbook “The Rise: Black Cooks and Soul of American Food.” The corporate sponsor was Stark Arrow Exterminators of Boca Raton.

The mission of FJBWC debutante program is to provide mentorship and help provide etiquette training and cultural experiences for high school girls who are invited into the program based on their academics and good character status. The program also raises educational scholarship monies for young ladies to pursue career goals.