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14BODYOFCHRISTNEWSSEPTEMBER2011ByIdaE.JonesTheHelpIdaE.JonesTheHelpTheHelpTheHelpTheHelpTheHelpTheHelpisNationalDirectorofABWHandAssistantCuratoratHowardUniversity.DainaRameyBerryTiffanyM.GillandKaliNicoleGrossareLifetimeMembersofABWHandAssociateProfessorsattheUniversityofTexasatAustin.JaniceSumler-EdmondisaLifetimeMemberofABWHandisaProfessoratHuston-TillotsonUniversity.TheHelpTrivializesBlackDomesticWorkersDuringthe1960slegalsegregationandeconomicinequalitieslimitedblackwomensemploymentopportunities.Upto90ofworkingblackwomenintheSouthlaboredasdomesticservantsinwhitehomes.srepresentationofthesewomenisadisappointingresurrectionofMammy.OnbehalfoftheAssociationofBlackWomenHistoriansABWHthisstatementprovideshistoricalcon-texttoaddresswidespreadstereotyp-ingpresentedinboththefilmandnovelversionof.Thebookhassoldover3millioncopiesandheavypromotionofthemoviewillensureitssuccessattheboxoffice.Despiteeffortstomarketthebookandthefilmasaprogressivestoryoftriumphoverracialinjusticedistortsignoresandtrivial-izestheexperiencesofblackdomesticworkers.Wearespecificallyconcernedabouttherepresentationsofblacklifeandthelackofattentiongiventosexualharassmentandcivilrightsactivism.Duringthe1960stheeracoveredinTheHelplegalsegregationandeconomicinequalitieslimitedblackwomensemploymentopportunities.Upto90percentofworkingblackwomenintheSouthlaboredasdomes-ticservantsinwhitehomes.srepresentationofthesewomenisadis-appointingresurrectionofMammyamythicalstereotypeofblackwomenwhowerecompelledeitherbyslaveryorsegregationtoservewhitefamilies.PortrayedasasexualloyalandcontentedcaretakersofwhitesthecaricatureofMammyallowedmain-streamAmericatoignorethesystemicracismthatboundblackwomentoback-breakinglowpayingjobswhereemployersroutinelyexploitedthem.ThepopularityofthismostrecentiterationistroublingbecauseitrevealsacontemporarynostalgiaforthedayswhenablackwomancouldonlyhopetocleantheWhiteHouseratherthanresideinit.Bothversionsofalsomis-representAfricanAmericanspeechandculture.SetintheSouththeappro-priateregionalaccentgiveswaytoachild-likeover-exaggeratedblackdialect.InthefilmforexampletheprimarycharacterAibileenreassuresayoungwhitechildthatYouissmatyouiskindyouisimportant.InthebookblackwomenrefertotheLordastheLawanirreverentdepictionofblackvernacular.Forcenturiesblackwomenandmenhavedrawnstrengthfromtheircom-munityinstitutions.Theblackfamilyinparticularprovidedsupportandthevalidationofpersonhoodnecessarytostandagainstadversity.Wedonotrecognizetheblackcom-munitydescribedinwheremostoftheblackmalecharactersaredepictedasdrunkardsabusiveorabsent.Suchdistortedimagesaremisleadinganddonotrepresentthehistoricalrealitiesofblackmasculinityandmanhood.FurthermoreAfricanAmericandomesticworkersoftensufferedsexualharassmentaswellasphysicalandverbalabuseinthehomesofwhiteemployers.ForexamplearecentlydiscoveredletterwrittenbyCivilRightsactivistRosaParksindicatesthatshelikemanyblackdomesticworkerslivedunderthethreatandsometimesrealityofsexualassault.Thefilmontheotherhandmakeslightofblackwomensfearsandvulnerabili-tiesturningthemintomomentsofcomicrelief.SimilarlythefilmiswoefullysilentontherichandvibranthistoryofblackCivilRightsactivistsinMississippi.GrantedtheassassinationofMedgarEversthefirstMississippibasedfieldsecretaryoftheNAACPgetssomeattention.HoweverEversassassina-tionsendsJacksonsblackcommunityfranticallyscurryingintothestreetsinutterchaosanddisorganizedcon-fusionafarcryfromthecouragedemonstratedbytheblackmenandwomenwhocontinuedhisfight.Portrayingthemostdangerousrac-istsin1960sMississippiasagroupofattractivewelldressedsocietywomenwhileignoringthereignofter-rorperpetuatedbytheKuKluxKlanandtheWhiteCitizensCouncillimitsracialinjusticetoindividualactsofmeanness.WerespectthestellarperformancesoftheAfricanAmericanactressesinthisfilm.Indeedthisstatementisinnowayacriticismoftheirtalent.ItishoweveranattempttoprovidecontextforthispopularrenditionofblacklifeintheJimCrowSouth.Intheendisnotastoryaboutthemillionsofhardworkinganddignifiedblackwomenwholaboredinwhitehomestosupporttheirfamiliesandcommunities.Ratheritisthecoming-of-agestoryofawhiteprotagonistwhousesmythsaboutthelivesofblackwomentomakesenseofherown.TheAssociationofBlackWomenHistoriansfindsitunacceptableforeitherthisbookorthisfilmtostripblackwomenslivesofhistoricalaccu-racyforthesakeofentertainment.OPINION