Born in 1919, Eugene Allen grew up in segregated Virginia, and slowly worked his way up the butler profession, largely without incident. Unlike the fictional Cecil Gaines, he did not watch the boss rape his mother on a Georgia farm, only to shoot a bullet through his father’s head as he starts to protest the incident, leading Cecil years later to escape his past for a better future.
Instead, over a period of years, Allen rose from a “pantry man” to the highest position in White House service, Maître d’hôtel. His life was marked by quiet distinction and personal happiness. He was married to the same woman, Helene, for 65 years. He had one son, Charles, who served in Vietnam. During the Reagan years, Nancy Reagan invited Allen and his wife to a state dinner as guests. When he retired shortly afterwards, “President Reagan wrote him a sweet note. Nancy Reagan hugged him, tight,” according to the story in the Washington Post. During service, he never said a word of criticism about any president. Nor was his resignation an act of political protest.
...being a colored minority is still largely a disadvantage in American society.
Sure. Just ask Oprah how much more successful she could have been if she were white.
Sure. Just ask Oprah how much more successful she could have been if she were white.
The biggest barrier to black Americans finding success in this country is being born into and living in a black community. How tragic is THAT? And lest you decide that is a racist comment...consider the plight of the Appalachian white family and their 'privilege'. ****ty circumstances are ****ty circumstances. As is usually the case, the culprit tends to live awful close to home.This is possibly some of the dumbest commentary I have read on race issues in some time. Say what you will about the privileges of being a "victimized" race...being a colored minority is still largely a disadvantage in American society. It's completely asinine and inaccurate to suggest that just because Barack Obama (who grew up in a privileged white middle class background) made it into the White House that barriers to achievement for blacks are some how diminished or gone.
I suppose I shouldn't be surprised that those who are blind to their own privileges have the gall to suggest that marginalized groups are better off than everybody else.
I saw the movie and this isn't true. The viewer leaves with the impression that conditions have improved, but that conditions are still not perfect. In fact, one of the last scenes in the movie is the Butler's son talking about how Americans need to fight for South Africans during apartheid in the same way they fought for blacks during Jim Crow. The implication of that scene is the Civil Rights movement had a significant measure of success in the United States. And, I believe the very last scene, is the Butler celebrating the election of Barack Obama in which he says that he never thought he'd see a black president. That scene is CLEARLY meant to indicate a great deal of progress.The viewer leaves with the impression that the civil rights movement has failed.
It's actually my impression that those who are now the most afraid are a certain segment white Americans who are watching themselves lose their white privilege in lieu of a more equal America. I'm talking about white people who make nasty comments about Trayvon Martin, who dismiss people's experiences with racism as "race baiting", who rant about "taking our country back" and the like.I suspect that this fear started when they were blindsided by an event that they didn't expect, not for many more years, anyway, which was the election of Barack Obama, a man of color.
To hear it from certain prominent black celebrities, race relations are worse than they have been in many years.
The Oprah is right in the middle of it, implying that her loss of viewers and the lack of success of her recent ventures is due to racism, making silly claims about the Trayvon Martin case and appearing in a movie seemingly designed to belittle progress in race relations over the past 60 years.
The contrast between the movie Oprah helped produce, "The Butler", and the story of the real life black butler in the White House, who served under a series of presidents, is illustrative.
The fictional butler is almost the complete polar opposite, tortured by racial conflict, injustice and violence all through his life and tenure at the White House. In the end he quits his job in protest to join the black civil rights movement. The viewer leaves with the impression that the civil rights movement has failed.
But, of course, it has not. Long gone are the whites only lunch counters, the seperate water fountain (or no water fountain) for blacks, the Jim Crow laws, segregation, and so on. Blacks have even been afforded special privileges in the form of preferential hiring and admission to universities. They can be assured of a certain number of black actors in most movies. They can even bypass merit based promotion and pay increases though disperate impact doctrines.
So, it appears to me that what prominent blacks fear is that they are in danger of losing the advantages that being a victimized group have given them. I suspect that this fear started when they were blindsided by an event that they didn't expect, not for many more years, anyway, which was the election of Barack Obama, a man of color. Suddenly the whole idea that blacks can't hope to make it in the US, that America "doesn't work" for them, was in tatters. It suddenly became a lot more difficult to evoke white guilt. Thus they have to push the idea that no progress at all has been made in civil rights. Oprah is one of the richest women in creation, but she still feels the need to paint herself as a victim of racist shop girls and American justice as hopelessly biased against blacks. I think that she fears that she and other blacks are becoming just another bunch of Americans.
The biggest barrier to black Americans finding success in this country is being born into and living in a black community. How tragic is THAT? And lest you decide that is a racist comment...consider the plight of the Appalachian white family and their 'privilege'. ****ty circumstances are ****ty circumstances. As is usually the case, the culprit tends to live awful close to home.
I saw the movie and this isn't true. The viewer leaves with the impression that conditions have improved, but that conditions are still not perfect. In fact, one of the last scenes in the movie is the Butler's son talking about how Americans need to fight for South Africans during apartheid in the same way they fought for blacks during Jim Crow. The implication of that scene is the Civil Rights movement had a significant measure of success in the United States. And, I believe the very last scene, is the Butler celebrating the election of Barack Obama in which he says that he never thought he'd see a black president. That scene is CLEARLY meant to indicate a great deal of progress.
If this is your review of the movie, it sounds like you either didn't watch it or you went it with an expectation that you didn't allow yourself to let go of. Shame, really.
It's actually my impression that those who are now the most afraid are a certain segment white Americans who are watching themselves lose their white privilege in lieu of a more equal America. I'm talking about white people who make nasty comments about Trayvon Martin, who dismiss people's experiences with racism as "race baiting", who rant about "taking our country back" and the like.
No, the movie was exceptionally clear that change had taken place. As in, the characters basically screamed it at the audience. Again, the line "I never thought I'd see a black man become president" at the very end of the movie was a very clear message to the audience that change had taken place.I don't agree. CLEARLY they were making a plea for continuing the status quo, as if nothing had changed.
That's what I said in the first line of my post. Did you watch it? Be honest.So, you watched it?
White privilege refers to things like the fact the white people have the privilege of not be discriminated against at anything even close to the rate that blacks and Hispanics do in housing, the justice system and other parts of our society. It's not a concept so much as it is a fact.White privilege. Another one of those "bogus concepts".
No, the movie was exceptionally clear that change had taken place. As in, the characters basically screamed it at the audience. Again, the line "I never thought I'd see a black man become president" at the very end of the movie was a very clear message to the audience that change had taken place.
That's what I said in the first line of my post. Did you watch it? Be honest.
White privilege refers to things like the fact the white people have the privilege of not be discriminated against at anything even close to the rate that blacks and Hispanics do in housing, the justice system and other parts of our society. It's not a concept so much as it is a fact.
The biggest barrier to black Americans finding success in this country is being born into and living in a black community. How tragic is THAT? And lest you decide that is a racist comment...consider the plight of the Appalachian white family and their 'privilege'. ****ty circumstances are ****ty circumstances. As is usually the case, the culprit tends to live awful close to home.
I'm wondering whether a black man who has a clean record, good grades in school, good credit, and a college degree, would really have as much trouble as you say compared to whites with a similar situation. I'm pretty sure that a white man who has a criminal record, bad credit, and no education would have a lot of trouble.
Like I say, bogus concept.
I White privilege. Another one of those bogus concepts. When people accept the idea that they are just Americans they will find out that everyone has problems.
To hear it from certain prominent black celebrities, race relations are worse than they have been in many years.
The Oprah is right in the middle of it, implying that her loss of viewers and the lack of success of her recent ventures is due to racism, making silly claims about the Trayvon Martin case and appearing in a movie seemingly designed to belittle progress in race relations over the past 60 years.
The contrast between the movie Oprah helped produce, "The Butler", and the story of the real life black butler in the White House, who served under a series of presidents, is illustrative.
The fictional butler is almost the complete polar opposite, tortured by racial conflict, injustice and violence all through his life and tenure at the White House. In the end he quits his job in protest to join the black civil rights movement. The viewer leaves with the impression that the civil rights movement has failed.
But, of course, it has not. Long gone are the whites only lunch counters, the seperate water fountain (or no water fountain) for blacks, the Jim Crow laws, segregation, and so on. Blacks have even been afforded special privileges in the form of preferential hiring and admission to universities. They can be assured of a certain number of black actors in most movies. They can even bypass merit based promotion and pay increases though disperate impact doctrines.
So, it appears to me that what prominent blacks fear is that they are in danger of losing the advantages that being a victimized group have given them. I suspect that this fear started when they were blindsided by an event that they didn't expect, not for many more years, anyway, which was the election of Barack Obama, a man of color. Suddenly the whole idea that blacks can't hope to make it in the US, that America "doesn't work" for them, was in tatters. It suddenly became a lot more difficult to evoke white guilt. Thus they have to push the idea that no progress at all has been made in civil rights. Oprah is one of the richest women in creation, but she still feels the need to paint herself as a victim of racist shop girls and American justice as hopelessly biased against blacks. I think that she fears that she and other blacks are becoming just another bunch of Americans.
But, of course, it has not. Long gone are the whites only lunch counters, the seperate water fountain (or no water fountain) for blacks, the Jim Crow laws, segregation, and so on.
Blacks have even been afforded special privileges in the form of preferential hiring and admission to universities.
They can be assured of a certain number of black actors in most movies.
They can even bypass merit based promotion and pay increases though disperate impact doctrines.
You never answered my question: did you see the movie? I ask because your description of it is truly inaccurate.I'm wondering whether a black man who has a clean record, good grades in school, good credit, and a college degree, would really have as much trouble as you say compared to whites with a similar situation. I'm pretty sure that a white man who has a criminal record, bad credit, and no education would have a lot of trouble.
Like I say, bogus concept.
To hear it from certain prominent black celebrities, race relations are worse than they have been in many years.
The Oprah is right in the middle of it, implying that her loss of viewers and the lack of success of her recent ventures is due to racism, making silly claims about the Trayvon Martin case and appearing in a movie seemingly designed to belittle progress in race relations over the past 60 years.
The contrast between the movie Oprah helped produce, "The Butler", and the story of the real life black butler in the White House, who served under a series of presidents, is illustrative.
The fictional butler is almost the complete polar opposite, tortured by racial conflict, injustice and violence all through his life and tenure at the White House. In the end he quits his job in protest to join the black civil rights movement. The viewer leaves with the impression that the civil rights movement has failed.
But, of course, it has not. Long gone are the whites only lunch counters, the seperate water fountain (or no water fountain) for blacks, the Jim Crow laws, segregation, and so on. Blacks have even been afforded special privileges in the form of preferential hiring and admission to universities. They can be assured of a certain number of black actors in most movies. They can even bypass merit based promotion and pay increases though disperate impact doctrines.
So, it appears to me that what prominent blacks fear is that they are in danger of losing the advantages that being a victimized group have given them. I suspect that this fear started when they were blindsided by an event that they didn't expect, not for many more years, anyway, which was the election of Barack Obama, a man of color. Suddenly the whole idea that blacks can't hope to make it in the US, that America "doesn't work" for them, was in tatters. It suddenly became a lot more difficult to evoke white guilt. Thus they have to push the idea that no progress at all has been made in civil rights. Oprah is one of the richest women in creation, but she still feels the need to paint herself as a victim of racist shop girls and American justice as hopelessly biased against blacks. I think that she fears that she and other blacks are becoming just another bunch of Americans.
This is possibly some of the dumbest commentary I have read on race issues in some time. Say what you will about the privileges of being a "victimized" race...being a colored minority is still largely a disadvantage in American society. It's completely asinine and inaccurate to suggest that just because Barack Obama (who grew up in a privileged white middle class background) made it into the White House that barriers to achievement for blacks are some how diminished or gone.
I suppose I shouldn't be surprised that those who are blind to their own privileges have the gall to suggest that marginalized groups are better off than everybody else.
I wouldn't consider that debatable. Black women were frequently raped in the south by white male authority figures and black men were frequently killed in the south when they challenged white men.The only actual event that is debatable (his point of view vs Richard A. Epstein) was when the white cotton field owner rape his mom and shot his dad in front of him.
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