by Monica Beck
Lee Daniels’ The Butler
Lee Daniels’ The Butler starring Forest Whitaker is an historical drama about the life of Cecil His tenure began in Eisenhower’s term as the country began to challenge the Jim Crow segregation laws of the south. Cecil played the innocent bystander, and did not involve himself in politics. His wife, played by Oprah Winfrey, stood by him and struggled with her own demons.
They had two sons, one who attended Fisk University and participated actively in the Civil Rights movement, which carried him to lunch counters in the south, on ‘freedom rides’ to Alabama, and eventually to jails across the south, while his father worked away in a state of worried silence as the fight for civil rights erupted. He was witness to many private debates that helped create the 1964 Civil Rights Act which was initiated by the Kennedy administration, and enacted by the Johnson administration. Johnson also expanded our presence in South East Asia, where Cecil’s other son chose a different fight—as a soldier in Vietnam where he was free to die for the country that denied him the same rights as his white counterparts.
Cecil’s employment at the White House helped him to provide a middle class lifestyle and standard of living for his family, but at a cost—just like the nameless porters who worked for luxury sleeper-car magnate George Pullman, and who were all referred to as “George”. Cecil, too, was treated as though he were invisible, as the presidential staff conducted conversations which included derogatory comments related to the ‘race question’ and our national policies. Early on he was instructed to “avoid politics”, and never voiced his opinions, even when asked.
As a microcosm of American society, White House employment practices mirrored the same rampant racism and economic disparity that was characteristic of the rest of the country. Several scenes depict Cecil attempting to stand up for his own equal rights, observing that the black staff made 40% of the wages that white staff earned for the same labor, but for many years his observations were met by deaf ears. Surprisingly enough, it was not until the Reagan presidency, that blacks received the same wages, and only because Cecil got the president’s support beforehand. Remember, Ronnie had been a good ‘union man’ in Hollywood.
Throughout the film Cecil interacts with four presidents and their families played by an ensemble cast, including Robin Williams, Jane Fonda (as Nancy Reagan), and John Cusack.
Likewise, Forest Whitaker and Oprah Winfrey (who returned to the cinema for Daniels’ film), give Oscar worthy performances that shouldn’t be missed. It can’t hurt the American psyche to take a personal look at the private battles that some Americans had to fight during the turbulent years of the Civil Rights movement. I say we owe it too them.
