It is startling in this day and age to find teenage girls willing to come out as debutantes. Yet, as we see in this delightful film, young middle-class African-American women in Oxnard, California (as in 150 other communities) happily participate in this ritual from another era. The debutante ball is a highlight of the social season. As we follow the preparations for the event we learn of the history of the tradition in this African-American community. One might wonder whether this is still a valid "rite of passage"? Organized by the older women in the Onyx Club, the balls uphold their ideals of proper etiquette and conduct for middle-class young ladies -- sometimes conflicting with the opinions of the teenage girls. The debs must learn proper table manners and how to formally present themselves and their escorts. They go shopping with their mothers for "appropriate" dresses that are more modest than the girls would like. Besides the lessons in social graces, the girls are encouraged to participate in community service. This ball, for example, raised $400,000 for college scholarships.