Ask any black Miamian which school is known for dressing to impress, and there’s usually one answer: Miami Northwestern.
So it should come as no surprise that Northwestern students showed up for their senior prom in 2024. On May 11 at the Hilton Downtown, students wore an assortment of colors — from teal to magenta and pink to silver — in some of the most luxurious cars you’ll see around the world. Magic City you will see driving.
Spectators spotted Lamborghinis, Mercedes-Benzes, BMWs and Rolls Royces, one of which appeared to be from the 1960s. Experience a magical evening: two students pulled up in a Tesla Cybertruck with a police escort.
“It’s the legacy of our school,” senior class vice president Algieria Thomas said. “Our school is known for walking, so you should walk.”
A compilation video documenting the students’ arrivals, created by Northwestern alum and teacher Tyeshia Bryant, has rocked the social media streets with more than four million views.
“This is the norm,” Bryant said. “But this class raised the bar a little because everyone understood the assignment.”
Northwestern’s 2024 prom theme was “Majestic Beauty: A Night of Elegance and Class.” Thomas helped select the concept, which she particularly adored for its ambiguity.
“It lets people represent their definition of class and elegance,” said Thomas, who plans to attend Alabama State University after graduation and major in business administration. Dressed in white with silver accents, Thomas and her date drove to the ball in a BWM 5-series.
The lavish nature of this year’s prom was especially important to Krista Gibbs, the class sponsor responsible for planning field trips and other events. A history teacher who started at Northwestern in 2020, the graduating class of 2024 held a special place in her heart for being her first sponsored class. The 370 seniors also began their high school careers in the throes of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I’ve been trying to do it big for them all year,” Gibbs said, admitting she was even a little stressed the following week. “The ball was just the grand finale. I wanted everything to go well.”
It was all worth it to see everyone arrive in style for their prom night.
“I was just so happy,” Gibbs said.
Although Gibbs did not attend Northwestern, she understood the significance of the spectacle. Gibbs, an alumnus of Carol City High, graduated from Florida A&M University, where, as at any historically black college or university, the focus of black excellence is ubiquitous.
“That culture stuck with me and it was important for me to recreate for the kids because this only happens once and you will remember it for the rest of your life,” Gibbs said. “We need to teach our students culture, tradition and pride because they need it.”
Opened in 1955, Miami Northwestern was one of the first high schools for black students. That pervasive history has earned the school a reputation for producing prominent Black professionals who impact the community.
Northwestern’s alumni list includes Congresswoman Frederica Wilson, Miami-Dade District 1 school board member Steve Gallon III and former NFL quarterback and current Northwestern football coach Teddy Bridgewater.
