The Butler

As Cecil Gaines serves eight presidents during his tenure as a butler at the White House, the civil rights movement, Vietnam, and other major events affect this man's life, family, and American society. From IMDb website

Wayne Jones writes: The Butler was very sad and showed me how bad life was for blacks.  It made me think, if it wasn't for Martin Luther King Jr., where would we be.   I don't know where this world would be if it wasn't for how hard he fought for our rights.  It was very sad how we were mistreated, from spitting in our face to the raping of our women.  If I was living during this time period I would hate life for myself.  It just showed how grateful we should be. They did a good job showing how even after slavery blacks were thought to be nothing. After he received his job they told him that his presence shouldn't be felt in the room.  Blacks even with the mistreatment had an inner pride that could not be broken no matter what they did to us.  It makes you think what has happen to some of us and that pride?  I left that movie feeling no matter what happens in life, I cannot quit because the freedom riders didn't quit, even while they were getting burnt and tortured. 

Mercy Hannon writes: "The Butler", directed by Lee Daniels, is an inspiring movie which portrays the events that occurred during 1953 to present time. This movie intelligently grabs the audience's attention by surrounding its theme on America's historic past on racism. Moreover, it consist of the life of a loving , yet struggling, African-American family and shows life of a butler working in the United States White House which results in a movie for the whole family to see.  

          While watching The Butler, I have learned to appreciate the rights that my diligent ancestors have worked for. As a leader of a new generation, I believe that some youth of today take their privileges for granted because they neither have experienced nor understand the struggle that people went through to provide what we have today. Racial profiling and racism has not been abolished yet; consequently,  I am proud to be able to improve this issue for generations to come.  We have to realize that this was once a dream, and now it is a reality.

In conclusion, I am honored that I have watched this motivating historic film.  It encourages me to learn more about my past and to notify my community about the racial issues of today, because if I don't make a change who will?