Last night I went to the movies with my friends to watch a recently released movie called “The Help.” Even though this movie was done to remind us of how it was back in the day, it has really made me think!
As an African woman who grew up in Tanzania, and who now lives in New York City, I think I have a unique perspective. I understand that this is a very tough memory for many Americans, the period of your history where separate did not mean equal.
This type of injustice might not happen in the developed world today, but still happen in many parts of the world, including my own country … and I think you dig a little deeper, you can also find it in some form in the United States.
It’s customary in many parts of Africa to bring unemployed youngsters from villages into urban areas as “domestic workers” or domestic servants or security guards, etc. Mostly, in pretense of giving them better opportunities. In many instances these people work for very little money or nothing at times, and some of them are horribly mistreated. I have seen it with my own eyes.
Is this modern slavery? Or is this part of Africans social norm and should be accepted as it is.
Personally, I beg to differ … one should be compensated for work done and treated as a dignified human being, with all the benefit and rights as acceptable in today’s world, regardless of what socio-economic class the person belongs to.
I appreciate a film like “The Help,” because it reminds us all that we still have much work to do. It is important to remember and learn from our past, but it is just as important to not make the same grave mistakes in the present.
—Flaviana Matata
