The Help

The Help Movie Trailer

"The Help" is one of the most thought-provoking and touching portraits of African-American maids working in white households in Jackson, Mississippi during the early 1960s.

Post your responses to the following activities in your blog.

1. In your own words, write what was meant by "separate but equal." How did people in Jackson, Mississippi - including the ladies of the Junior League in "The Help" - try to apply this principle?

2. Do a simple online research about Jim Crow Laws. Identify what outcomes - forced upon domestic workers - were present in "The Help".

3. Explore the themes in "The Help" and develop your ideas by continuing the following sentence:

"The maids in The Help took a risk by telling their stories. Even though they knew they could be shot to death in their front yards, they went ahead with the project. If people are not willing to take risks..."