"THE" Question??
I saw The Butler yesterday http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Butler. The movie paralleled my life in ways that were illuminating, and uncomfortable. My memories were still too raw. The film is artfully and tastefully done. It was pure genius to cover those years, spanning more than half a century, in one film. It was also refreshing to get a glimpse of Oprah's acting sans Spielberg (Color Purple). It's a "Must-See" for anyone who seeks a sane and safe future for this country and this planet.
I entered Washington D.C. five years after the (fictionalized) Cecil Gaines began his butler career in the White House. As a brand new Air Force Officer assigned to the NSA, I witnessed the Kennedy and Johnson years (1962-1966) "up-close". The movie captures accurately what the "atmosphere" was like, then and there, for black citizens; both in their personal and professional lives. I was there, able to witness from a unique vantage point, the very early Vietnam Draft controversies, the March on Washington, the March on the White House protesting the Birmingham Church bombing (I participated), and the assassinations of both President Kennedy and Malcolm X.
Black student activism started much earlier than the history books show. The black students at C.C. Hubbard went on strike before the 1954 Decision, and got rid of an "Uncle Tom" Principal selected by the white School Board to replace C.C. Hubbard after his death in 1947. I'm sure similar stories could be told by blacks in other parts of the country in those years.
Lee Daniels made his point well that human bonds trump just about everything else for those of us who can see past the massive conditioning of religion, events, movements, and political alliances in history. That challenge is never more urgent than it is in 2013!
Stay Vigilant! See the film?
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