Association of Black Women Historians Condemn The Help

What does your group think of the statement "The Help distorts, ignores, and trivializes the
experiences of black domestic workers. We are specifically concerned about the representations
of black life and the lack of attention given to sexual harassment and civil rights activism...." issued by the ABWH?

For those who missed the ABWH's statement, you can read it here: http://www.abwh.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2:open-statement-the-help&catid=1:latest-news

and there's a provocative response at The New Republic: http://www.tnr.com/article/film/93779/the-help-black-racism?page=0,3, titled "The Help Isn't Racist. Its Critics Are."

I do understand your response but I would like to share my personal response to the book. I found the book, for all it's faults, created African-American women who were heroic and enobled by their life in the South at that period of time in America. I also believe that the character of Skeeter was very self-serving and her desire to be an author to find herself at the expense of the conversations with the help adds to her shallowness. It is the black women who really stand out in this novel and I believe that any reader will walk away feeling their dignity and pride in dealing with the south of the 1950's. As to your statement about not recognizing their civil rights activism that is a true statement I do not agree about your statement about sexual harrassment, unfortunately that topic is truly color-blind.
SDZ