So inspired by our discussion today, I visited Netflix. Interestingly enough under the “gay and lesbian” section they only have 25 films, 20 of which include naked bodies or sexually suggestive cover art. Also, the only evidence of ethnic minorities exist in group shots, no leading roles here.

Even more telling is that films like “Brokeback Mountain and “Boys Don’t Cry” aren’t even featured in this section even though Netflix carries these films! Thoughts?

Much of our discussion around “The Help” has centered around idea that it is difficult, perhaps even impossible to have historical accuracy in a an hour and a half. In response, I would like to offer this link to Episode 5 of “Eyes on the Prize”, a 14 part series. Episode 5 is specific to events in Mississippi in the early 1960s. You can watch it here. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hgSitIXiP5Y.

The series itself is a remarkable document of the Civil Rights era, http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/eyesontheprize/about/index.html and all of it is available on Youtube.

I would encourage all of you to watch the episode and the series.

Showdown between Wells and Willard
http://www.theroot.com/articles/politics/2011/03/womens_suffrage_and_racism_ida_b_wells_vs_frances_e_willard.html

Black Feminists
http://msmagazine.com/blog/2014/02/19/how-many-of-these-early-black-feminists-do-you-know/

The Hidden Help: Black Domestic Workers in the Civil Rights Movement
http://digital.library.louisville.edu/utils/getfile/collection/etd/id/2543/filename/5340.pdf

http://afrolez.tumblr.com/post/7967989547/a-black-woman-speaks-of-white-womanhood-by-beah

http://notherapedocumentary.org/another-black-feminist-critique

The clip and other critiques from today is at the end of this article.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/08/movies/awardsseason/for-tate-taylor-making-the-help-was-a-tale-of-adversity.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0

http://nyti.ms/1qDAduz

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