The Help

Tonight, the Austrian exchange students and I went to see the film, "The Help." It was difficult for me to watch. I was so saddened by what was happening in the film. It's hard to believe that, just 50 years ago, black people were treated as if they were the "hired help," and nothing else. My heart went out to the women in that film, and I cried with them throughout it; not only because I was appalled and saddened by what was happening, but because I know that this kind of thing still happens today. Let's be honest: often times police will pull black men over more often. If black men are taken to court, they are more likely to go to jail. Their skin color sometimes determines their fate. They are judged even before they stand trial.

I remember when I was discussing race with a black man that worked with me at the movie theater in high school. He said to me, "Don't base whether or not you like me on the fact that I'm black. Get to know me first. It's fine if you don't like me after meeting me, but at least have a reason." I never forgot that. Perhaps it is for that reason that I seek out those that are different from me. It is through them that I understand more about the world, and about myself.