Black history and the racial abuses of the sixties
The Help is a movie set during the civil rights era and is based on a novel written by Kathryn Stockett and was directed by Tate Taylor. The movie tries to tell the story of how black maids faced racial and personal injustices inflicted on them by the wealthy families they worked for in the sixties. During that time white people were regarded as special to the extent that black maids had their own separate toilets outside the house. The way white people allowed their children to be brought up by black maids and yet still regard them as second class citizen in America showed how much white people regarded themselves as superior at that time.
The vile treatment these hard working women received at the hands of the white women somehow gave them the courage to tell their story even though they knew that they would face retaliation from their employers. With the help a young white lady with a passion for journalism two black maids went on to tell their story of discrimination based on color which they faced everyday in white families. Since the movie was written and directed by white men and women some may ask whether whites can tell the real black man’s story well. Also whether the movie is a historical white wash and sugar coated so that it can instill the spirit of forgiveness and moving on while doing away with real injustices inflicted on black people at that time. But on the other hand it’s all about the endurance that can the make us be able to change the bad policies of the past.
The US Embassy Public Affairs Section in Harare screened the movie as part of its efforts to commemorate Black History Month. Black History Month, is an annual observance in the United States for the remembrance of important people and events in the history of the African Diaspora. It is celebrated annually in the United States during the month of February.