Unfortunately, the Supreme Court ruled that slaves could not use the court systems so he was sent back to his master., The message of unity, celebrating and preserving the cultural, social, and historical achievements of those of African descent spoke to the hearts and minds of a people who had been subjected to centuries of violence, brutality, and oppression. No, she was not an alcoholic. Latin refers to those from countries whose languages derived from Latin. Cecil would tell them the truth and what was right for everyone, and the presidents were actually agreeing with Cecil. Cecils first day at the White House, as portrayed in the film, is a doozy. Otherwise I believe the african american suffrage endured much more hatred and took much longer for assimilation due to ethnic stratification and black, The radicals finally got what they long proceeded for. Dred Scott v. Sanford was only one of the great Supreme Court cases that changed the history of America and African Americans forever. In The Butler, Whitakers Cecil Gaines is a slightly fictionalized version of Allen, one whose storythough very close to Allens ownplays better as the stylistic, sweeping melodrama the film sets out to be. Cecil grown up in a cotton plantation with his father and mother. The film ends with Cecil returning to the White House to meet President Obama. Gaines, who grew up on a cotton plantation in Macon, GA, first entered the White House in 1957 as President Eisenhower's wardrobe organizer. We wanted him to do it but he was running for office so I think he had better thingsmore important things [to do]." He never imagined he'd be working somewhere as nice as this, the most famous home in the country. African Americans did not see know what their truth was Its not easy to know what is true for you or me (Hughes, ln 16). Civil rights are the freedoms and rights that a person may have as a member of a community, state, or nation. In "The Butler", Forest Whitaker lends his features to Cecil Gaines, an employee of the White House who has spent nearly thirty years in the halls of the residence. But it's not just about him. Allen met with Alonzo Fields, a maitre d', who instantly liked him. During an interview with Gayle King for the Oprah Winfrey Network, director Lee Daniels said, "It was more powerful to not have Obama in it but we did go back and forth." Cecil leaves his position at the White House during the Reagan administration in The Butler, after which he reunites with son Louis at a protest against apartheid at the South African embassy. Whitaker's real-life counterpart, reflect How much do butlers make in the White House? Materials Cotton, wool, silk lapels Credit Courtesy of Western Costume Company Notes Throughout American history there have been many struggles for the right., He was more like a common man because he declared education to people which was unnecessary and not a requirement. 934 results. Visit me at allanishac.com. He started in the White House in 1952 as a "pantry man", a job which involved basic tasks such as dish washing, stocking and cleaning silverware. There is no evidence that Eugene Allen's mother was raped or that his father was shot and killed by the plantation owner like in the movie. While Allen doesnt confirm this story, Johnson reportedly employed the toilet tactic often as an intimidationand time-savingtool. The Butler tells the story of Cecil Gaines, a black man who rose to become White House butler and served eight presidents, witnessing some of the most tumultuous events in 20th-century America,. That tie, however, Allen had framed. Liev Schreiber as Lyndon B. Johnson, the 36th President of the United States. Gaines sends his son down south to college, only to find that Louis has dropped his studies to devote all of his attention to the struggle for racial equality: He takes a seat in the whites. Cecil is hired as butler just as soon as black matre d Freddie Fallows (Colman Domingo) confirms that he is not actively political and is experienced in his field. Most of the six presidents didn't come from backgrounds like that. [8] He and his wife had intended to vote for Barack Obama in 2008, but she died the day before the election, on November 3. The woman in charge of the plantation (Vanessa Redgrave) takes pity on him and makes him a houseboy, the beginning of his life-long career as a domestic. Cecil Gaines: -The Butler: A Witness to History. Gaines was born on April 9, 1943 to Cecil Reginald Montgomery and Margaret Gaines Montgomery in Anniston, Alabama. (Yahoo! Thats the mark of a failed leader. I want them to see what they have done to Jack." While he had continued, there was one president that invited him to a big party in the white house. . Nancy Reagan interrupts him, informing him that he and his wife are coming to the state dinner as guests of President Reagan and myself. Cecil attends with Gloria; the pride that fills her eyes is one of the films biggest tear-jerking moments. But in the hallway, he fell against the wall and started crying. alias Francis Gaines. (They're played by Forest Whitaker and Oprah Winfrey.) June 25, 2021 While Daniels had some input as to the script, Strong is credited as the sole writer. Grand View Funeral Home 11116 US-61, Hannibal, MO 63401. (Answered 2023), How Much Food Should My 8 Week Old Puppy Eat? He was all alone. cecil gaines salary cecil gaines salary (No Ratings Yet) . Obituary. Eugene Charles Allen - Scottsville Museum, "Eugene Allen, White House butler for 8 presidents, dies at 90", "Eugene Allen: White House butler who worked for eight US presidents", "The True Story of The Butler: Fact vs. Fiction in Lee Daniels' The Butler", "White House Workers: Traditions and Memories", "No, President Obama isn't doing a cameo in 'The Butler', https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Eugene_Allen&oldid=1134854716, This page was last edited on 21 January 2023, at 01:43. When Wil Haygood interviewed Eugene and his wife Helene for The Washington Post article, Helene admitted she was nervous about trying to make small talk with world leaders at the state dinner, adding, "Had champagne that night," which caused her husband to grin. When comparing The Butler movie fiction vs. fact, we discovered that in real life, Eugene and Helene Allen's only son, Charles, did in fact serve in Vietnam, but he did not die there. It is implied that this realization is what causes him to make the decision to retire. anthony lewis 7/01/13. The film was inspired by a 2008 Washington Post story titled A Butler Well Served by This Election,which first brought Allens story to the mainstream: a butler who served every president from Truman to Reagan and weathered the worst of the countrys brutal racial history was about to see the first black president of the United States sworn into office. It placed Allen's life in the context of changing race relations and the personalities of the presidents he'd served. Satirist. [hide]. It is nevetherless estimated that 37% of the Colombian population can be categorized as white, forming the second largest racial group after mestizos (at 49 percent). He is a butler who has worked in the White House for over three decades. He is survived by : his children, Sheri Wood (Steve Drewel) of Lake Ozark, MO, Matthew Gaines (Adrian) of Plattsburg, MO and Chris Gaines (Erica) of New London, MO; his grandchildren, Erin Krupps (Philip), Emily Wood, Kaitlyn Underhill (Joey) and Brooklyn Gaines; his great grandchildren, Crew and Auley; and his friends, Jay and Sue Garrelts of Palmyra. Authorize the publication of the original written obituary with the accompanying photo. Just imagine, Gloria says. PHOTOS: 10 Presidents and Their Famous Hollywood Pals When he spoke to Haygood about his childhood, There was nary a hint of bitterness in his voice about his upbringing. Allen left the plantation in hopes of finding better work, as Cecil doesbut unlike his fictional counterpart, he never broke into a hotel restaurant to steal food. DISCRIMINATION TOWARDS AFRICAN AMERICAN IN THE BUTLER FILM BY LEE DANIELS - Diponegoro University | Institutional Repository (UNDIP-IR), Purpose of The Study Scope of The Study Method of The Study, Gloria Gaines Louis Gaines Charlie Gaines, Cecil s conflict with Gloria Cecil s conflict with Louis, Salary Discrimination towards African-American, Employment Opportunities Education Discrimination towards African-American. I couldve helped him, opened up his heart a bit, but hes just too much of a egotistical, self-promoting, cocky windbag, pardon me for saying so. Supporters of Ronald Reagan aren't happy with the way Lee Daniels' The Butler portrays the 40th president, but none more so than his son, Michael Reagan. Cecil's youngest son, Charlie Gaines, is struggling to find his identity and decides to join the military and fight for his country. Colombians (colombianos in Spanish), are citizens of Colombia. (Theyre played by Forest Whitaker and Oprah Winfrey.) The longtime butler also shared positive memories of Bill Clinton (Quite a rascal, that one, always chasing the skirts), but spoke less kindly of George W (Never could figure how a man with his lack of wits got as far as he did, pardon me for saying so.). The gut-punch of a kicker to Haygoods article: The butler cast his vote for Obama on Tuesday. The Allens really were invited by Mrs. Reagan to that state dinner, a memory they fondly recounted in the Post article. (I have emailed Haygood and will update the post if he provides additional information.) Louis, whos ashamed that his father is content with serving white people, is himself present for several important historical moments, including the attack and burning of a Freedom Riders bus in 1961; hes also imprisoned in the same jail as Martin Luther King, Jr. after a protest. "While the movie The Butler is set against historical events, the title character and his family are fictionalized," states director Lee Daniels. It ended with the story of how the couple intended to vote for Obama together but Helene died just before the election, They talked about praying to help Barack Obama get to the White House. [9], Allen died of kidney failure at the Washington Adventist Hospital in Takoma Park, Maryland on March 31, 2010.[2]. The central character, "Cecil Gaines", is only loosely based on the real Allen. In reality, Allens wife, Helene, did not have a problem with alcohol nor did she have an affair. He was predeceased by : his parents, George Gaines and Hazel Gaines (Chase); and his wife Barbara Jones. There was no indication in Haygood's article or book that Eugene had any sort of realization during the state dinner. And, though he's grateful for his opportunities, his older son, Louis (David Oyelowo), is not so content. Reagan attacked Tinseltown for making what he called "a clichd 'message movie'" particularly given the liberties director Lee Daniels and Strong took with Allen's life, such as giving Gaines a second son the real butler never had and depicting him as joining the Black Panthers. The movie is based off a man named Cecil Gaines who operated from place to place as a butler to support his family, while his oldest son is out protesting for his rights, beliefs, and his culture. He nudged Helene again. He begins working in the White House under Eisenhowers administration, in 1957. Cecil Gaines Obituary We are sad to announce that on June 25, 2021, at the age of 82, Cecil Gaines of Hannibal, Missouri passed away. Cecil ends up attending the protest, after deciding to retire from being a butler. "[5] He was invited to the funeral, but chose to stay at work to prepare for the reception, because "Someone had to be at the White House to serve everyone after they came from the funeral. He was hired in 1952 as a pantry worker and worked his way up to butler after several years. The Lyndon Johnson toilet scene: COULD BE TRUE. Allens life was the inspiration for the 2013 film The Butler. The life of that man, Eugene Allen, is the basis for Lee Daniels The Butler, which debuts in theaters this weekend. Louis, the older son in The Butler and a Freedom Rider and early member of the Black Panther Party, is the lens through which much of the films depiction of the civil rights movement is seenhe was invented for the film. I thought me and the president, we were on good terms, but he turned out to be a real bastard from hell, pardon me for saying so., After the election, according to Gaines, the president he was cursing and swearing and kicking the furniture in the Oval Office, looking for someone to blame for his defeat. In the The Butler movie, we see Cecil Gaines (Forest Whitaker) standing before Jackie Kennedy (Minka Kelly), who is still wearing the blood-stained pink Chanel suit that she was wearing when her husband was shot. The civil rights were more inspired by, By that, I mean Louis dad 's name, Cecil Gaines. This crooked fella, Trump, he doesnt seem to know a thing about the country, its laws, the Constitution. Louis the Son Louis Gaines is the son of Cecil and Gloria Gaines and he deals with the question of how he will define his life. Who is the real Louis Gaines? Urban professionals from the Andean interior tend toward conservative, dark-colored suits, while farmers and members of the lower classes prefer loose skirts or pants [source: rquez and Roadfield]. Movies. The film follows Cecil Gaines, modeled after Allen, as he witnesses the changes of each administration while his son, Louis Gaines, fights for equality. Echovita Inc is a registered trademark. Mr. Gaines was born in Monticello, the oldest of seven children. Butlers in the White House make an average of $50,000 per year. Louis goes away to college, but he . There has been a lot of debate as to whether or not President Obama was asked to be in the film, as well as what his response was if asked. asked Reagan. Civil rights include freedom of speech, of the press, and of religion. The true story behind Eugene Allen verifies that he was born on a plantation in Virginia (not Georgia). The Newton Record; 04 Aug 1965, Wed; Page 8 FIRST GAINES REUNION HELD AT DECATUR'S ARMORY JULY 25 The first reunion of the Tom, Frank and Jim Gaines and Mattie Gaines Dunagin families was held at the National Guard Armory in Decatur, Sunday, July 25. But as interesting as Haygoods profile is, A Butler Well Served by This Election doesnt provide that many details about Allens time in the White House outside a handful of facts and humorous anecdotes. Throughout his life at the cotton fields he witnesses the death of his father and the beating of his mother. No. It's about several other people I spoke to that worked at the White House as well so that the film would create this universal truth for many people of what that experience was like.". Echovita offers a solidarity program that gives back the funds generated to families. They met at a birthday party in Washington in 1942, and married a year later in 1943. But those presidents that agreed with Cecil would die the same day or the next day, from the other white people because they don 't think African American should have the same rights as them. What Are the Dimensions of a Kenmore Refrigerator Model 106? [6] He retired in 1986, after he worked for Harry S. Truman, Dwight D. Eisenhower, John F. Kennedy, Lyndon B. Johnson, Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, and Ronald Reagan, a total of eight presidents. Being a black butler in those times was extremely . The presidents that had Cecil as their butler would ask him what would he think would be best for him and the others that were the same like Cecil. And that scene where Cecil lands his first job as a waiter after being caught stealing food by a sympathetic senior butler who helps him turn his life around? As a result, majority of Colombians do not equate their nationality with their ethnicity, usually embracing and espousing both simultaneously. After a two-hour tour through the ugliest moments of the countrys history, The Butler concludes with one of those lump-in-the-throat rousing moments that wins applause at the end of screenings. Guess which butler feels the pain of America's racial injustices so deeply that he quits his White House job and joins his son in a protest movement? Heres a run down of The Butler, fact vs. fiction. Your source for entertainment news, celebrities, celeb news, and celebrity gossip. Eugene and Helene only had one son, Charles. In great houses, the household is sometimes divided into departments with the butler in charge of the dining room, wine cellar, and pantry. However, others may say it was justified for trying to force a nation into a new way of life. Almost 50 years later, Cecil wears that very tie to the White House when he goes to meet Barack Obama for the first time. Jackson made it where common people could vote, and thats why he won the elections. Its not surprising that some broad creative license was taken with Allens life. His request is denied, and he accepts this. Yes. So as time went by, Cecil became the butler for the president. He is the elder son of Cecil Gaines, the film's main character. Cecil is then trained to be a houseman, eventually running away and learning how to become a butler. Trump only kept me on because people around him said dont fire the black man, dont fire him, youll lose votes! So he kept me around, but begrudged it. If the liberals in Hollywoodand Washingtonever start looking at people the way he did, the country will be a lot better off," Reagan wrote. Cecil Gaines' son's transition from the liberal integrationism of Dr. King and mainline civil rights, to his joining the black power movement, to eventually becoming involved in establishment . So you could refer to someone from Mexico, Spain, France, Italy or Brazil as being Latin. He worked for the family as a house boy doing chores such as washing dishes. Theyd go vote together. Gaines was packing his bags on Wednesday night, the day before Thanksgiving, boxing up mementos from seven decades of White House service, including a signed copy of Profiles In Courage, a gift from JFK. Instead, actor Orlando Eric Street portrays President Barack Obama. That little pug nose. Jackie Kennedy really did give Allen one of the presidents ties following his death. The man in the kitchen.. In The Butler movie, Cecil (Forest Whitaker) watches his fellow butlers serve him at the state dinner and realizes he has in fact been wearing a mask over the years to cover up the subservient nature of his job. age during segregation and living to see a In 1980, during the Reagan administration, Mr. Allen was promoted to maitre d', the position he held when he retired in 1986. The minority-minority relationship between the two organizations raised enough attention that it gained affirmative action. Allen came to public attention when a 2008 article about him and his wife, by journalist Wil Haygood, entitled "A Butler Well Served by This Election", was published in The Washington Post shortly after the 2008 presidential election. The butler and Obama One of The Butlers few episodes of broad comedy comes when President Lyndon Johnson (an appropriately boisterous Liev Schrieber) barks orders at his staff while sitting on the toilet with the door open, capping it all off by asking Cecil to pass him a glass of prune juice. [7] Reagan invited Allen and his wife Helene to a state dinner in honor of Helmut Kohl at the White House. black man be elected to the White House. The true story behind Eugene Allen verifies that he was born on a plantation in Virginia (not Georgia). Afro-Colombians refers to Colombian citizens of African descent; this article is about the influence they have had on Colombian culture. He was, after all, the man who stacked the White House champagne. Yes, in his last year as a butler at the White House, Cecil Gaines had the opportunity to meet President Barack Obama. But the names have been changed: Allen and his wife, Helene, are called Cecil and Gloria Gaines. Allen was particularly affected by the murder of President Kennedy in 1963. [10] Allen's life was the inspiration for the 2013 film The Butler. It was the last film produced by Laura Ziskin, who died in 2011. It's about several other people I spoke to that worked at the White House as well so that the film would create this universal truth for many people of what that experience was like." And heres how this made-for-TV nightmare shouldve ended. I do not mean this as a criticism, as the divide between moderate Gaines and his . So how much of Allens real-life experience actually made it into the film? Civil rights include freedom of speech, of the press, and of religion. That was the first time in my life I had ever seen my father cry. ", But what particularly rankled Reagan was the movie's insinuation that his father wanted to veto sanctions on apartheid South Africa when, in actuality, he said "it had to do with the geopolitics of the Cold War. 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