16 Leadership Lessons And Thoughts From The Help

I have known dozens of individuals in my lifetime who were overt racists.

Last night my wife, daughter, and I finally saw the Academy Award nominated movie The Help.  I am embarrassed to say that it took me this long to see it.  The film is absolutely amazing but at the same time gut-wrenching.  How did this movie not win Best Picture?

Several thoughts:

1. Watching this movie made me literally embarrassed to be a white person.  I asked my wife and she felt the same way.
2. As the movie progressed and there were references to Christian behavior by the wealthy white upper-class, I kept thinking “What were Christians at that time thinking??!!!  Why didn’t someone stand up and do something??!!!”
3. What behaviors are Christians, me specifically, doing or not doing today that we will look back 40 years from now and cry out “What were Christians at that time thinking??!!!  Why didn’t someone stand up and do something??!!!”
4. The performances by Viola Davis, Octavia Spencer, Emma Stone, Bryce Dallas Howard, Jessica Chastain, Cicely Tyson, and Allison Janney are performances for the ages.
5. It is absolutely amazing to me that African-Americans who lived during the 1960’s or prior would ever trust, forgive, or be kind to white people?  I am blown away by the level of kindness and God’s grace in their lives.
6. If you treat the people who serve you (waitresses, waiters, hotel staff, sanitation workers, landscapers, salespeople, customer service reps, I could go on forever) poorly, you should be absolutely ashamed.  Not only should you treat them well, if you are not tipping at 20% you should start today.  Take care of those who take care of you.
7. Every human being has value and should be treated with the utmost dignity.  Last time I checked, we are currently spending an entire month, week, and day celebrating that Jesus died and rose from the grave for ALL who have ever lived.
8. It is a noble thing to tell the stories of those who have no voice.
9. Racism on any level and towards anyone is absolutely repulsive and should be addressed immediately.
10. Peer pressure at any age destroys relationships and harms the self-worth of others.
11. Be careful doing anything out of anger.  The only difference between anger and danger is the letter “d”.
12. The relationship between Celia Foote (Chastain) and Minny Jackson (Spencer) demonstrates that people of all races when disenfranchised can be united by love and a common purpose.
13. Pride results in personal destruction and a steep fall from grace.
14. Good parents will go through any lengths to provide for their children and give them a chance for a better life.
15. Any work done with dignity and excellence is something to be proud of and should be highly rewarded.  In the case of The Help it was cooking, cleaning, and taking care of children.
16. Having money does not make you rich.  Not having resources does not mean that you are poor.

The Help is simply a movie that every human being with an ounce of breath needs to watch.  Frankly, because I have known many racists in my lifetime, I just felt dirty watching it.  I wish I could apologize to every African-American on behalf of stupid, ignorant, small-minded white people.  I wish I could.  I am deeply, deeply sorry to any victim of racism.

I hope things have gotten better.  I guess it really isn’t for me to determine if it has or not.  Only those with no voice could tell us for sure.

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