[Jim Straz]

Originally Posted by CaliforniaGirl

We had a maid when I was a child, and yes, she was black. That being said, my mother did not have a predjudiced bone in her body, luckily. Our maid used our bathrooms and ate with us and was a trusted friend.

We used to get our Christmas trees every year at the Atlanta Farmers Market. I remember as a small child asking my mother why they had a "colored" cafeteria and a "white" cafeteria, and my mother replied that it was because there were too many ignorant people in the world.

I have to admit that some parts of this movie made me squirm with embarassment at even being a part of that generation. In some small defense of the South, I must say that I witnessed more bigotry in California (where I moved after college) than I ever did growing up in the South.

Loved your words, you're Blessed with a good heart.

[bkcunningham1]

Did any of you hear about the lawsuit filed against Kathryn Stockett, the author of The Help?


http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/...WqJJ_blog.html

[Jim Straz]

Originally Posted by bkcunningham1

Did any of you hear about the lawsuit filed against Kathryn Stockett, the author of The Help?


http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/...WqJJ_blog.html

The 'Help' lawsuit against Kathryn Stockett is dismissed!

[callmejoe]

i've read part of the book, can't wait to see the movie and rent it soon

[10Bucks]

very great movie. loved it

[Pturner]

We had maids when I was growing up, first in Griffin GA, where I lived from age 4-7, and then in Atlanta, where I grew up.

I don't know why, but I came home from first grade in Griffin one day and a thought occurred to me. I asked Annie Grace, didn't Negro (the word used at the time) children go to school? She said, "Of course, what you ask me that". I said, "because there are no Negro children at school". She said they went to different schools. I have no idea why this occurred to be at such a young age, but I said with mortified gasped, "au... we make them go to worse schools".

She looked at me hard and said, "don't you ever let me hear you talk like that again!" I asked why and she said because it was dangerous kind of talk and "don't you ever let a white person hear you say that. You hear me!" It was 1958.

But I did. In 1960, we moved to Atlanta. I was playing outside with three friends that summer and a bus came by to pick up the maids in the neighborhood. I said, "Doesn't it strike you as odd that we deny Negroes access to a decent education and deny them access to decent jobs and then we have the nerve to hate them for their poverty and lack of education."

My friends gasped. One said, "Of course we never thought of that. We are just children! What's wrong with you?" Another one said, "Yeah Phyllis, don't you have any idea how different you are? Even our parents never thought of that!"

But all three of them are still my friends today. And ultimately, they all agreed. In Atlanta, our beloved maid was Bernice. Growing up, I discussed it with her a lot. She ate with us and shared our bathroom... and did not discourage me at all from discussing it.

I read the book, then saw the movie. Needless to say, I loved both and wept hardily.

[graciegirl]

Originally Posted by ilovetv

How many readers here had a "maid", of any color, growing up?

I don't know of anyone we knew in the Midwest having one.

I know this is a good movie and one I'm definitely going to see. However, I have read opinion pieces from other states that cite the movie as more reason to be repentant of "white guilt".

What do you think if you've seen it?

Not I said the little red hen. No one I knew had help...unless you count your grandmother coming over to help with the wallpaper cleaning.

The whole concept of this book seems like such a heartbreaker that wimpy me will not go see it. I stay down for days after books and movies like that. It is too late to fix that part of history and all you can do now is be aware and fair.

[Pturner]

Originally Posted by graciegirl

Not I said the little red hen. No one I knew had help...unless you count your grandmother coming over to help with the wallpaper cleaning.

The whole concept of this book seems like such a heartbreaker that wimpy me will not go see it. I stay down for days after books and movies like that. It is too late to fix that part of history and all you can do now is be aware and fair.

... But ultimately, the book/movie is uplifting. Just so you'll know, dearest GG.

[jojo]

I was extolling this book to a professional colleague who is Black. I said I thought it should be on the list of books that students may read about the civil rights movement. My friend objects to the book because she says it stereotypes Blacks and misrepresents history. I have other friends who had nannies who says the book accurately portrayed their experiences. I am interested in others' perspectives.