THE VIDEO BELOW IS A GREAT EXAMPLE OF WHAT WE SHOULD NOT DO WHEN ENCOUNTERING ‘RETAIL RACISM’
When confronted by a white person practicing RETAIL RACISM, what the black female in the video could have done was:
1) in a calm but firm voice ask to speak to the manager of the establishment.
2) while she’s waiting for the manager, take out her copy of ‘The Counter-Racism Response to Retail Racism’
3) tell the manager what happened and how the previous (white) customer was treated by the cashier
4) then respond with the following NO matter what the manager says:
“Oops, thank you for the reminder. I had lost my mind for a minute. Forgot we’re in a system of racism. Let me get out of line. No need to spend my money here. I don’t need an apology. I don’t need any coupons. I’m leaving and will not be back here ever again and will encourage all other non-white people to also refrain from spending a dime in your establishment.”
5) WALK OUT OF THE STORE and LEAVE THE GROCERIES ON THE COUNTER
By doing ALL the above, she would have TAUGHT her daughter – by example — to RESPECT HERSELF AND HER DOLLARS, not to finance her own degradation, and NOT to count on “good white people” OR non-white people passing as “white” to rescue her when she can do it HERSELF.
“Oops, thank you for the reminder. I had lost my mind for a minute. Forgot we’re in a system of racism. Let me get out of line. No need to spend my money here. I don’t need an apology. I don’t need any coupons. I’m leaving and will not be back here ever again and will encourage all other non-white people to also refrain from spending a dime in your establishment.”
(PRINT THIS UP AND CARRY IT WITH YOU AT ALL TIMES. SHARE THIS RESPONSE WITH FAMILY, FRIENDS, COWORKERS, AND ACQUAINTANCES)
(Click on the link below to print or save the PDF version)
Do NOT RELY on “good white people” OR non-white people who are passing as white to RESCUE YOU. We must learn how to RESCUE OURSELVES and how to help other Victims who are being mistreated.
The elderly white females the black female referred to in this video were not on this black female’s side, they were siding with the non-white female who they BELIEVED was a WHITE PERSON who called the white cashier out.
I seriously, seriously believe had the black female accused the white female cashier of practicing racism, the elderly white females would have remained SILENT and would have been annoyed and offended by that “angry black” making a public disturbance and “playing the race card.”
I believe those elderly white females could have been practicing the WHITE SUPREMACIST CODE — creating confusion among the non-white Victims whenever a white person who is practicing racism is EXPOSED by their Victim(s).
To maintain white supremacy/white privilege (a SYSTEM OF DECEPTION), It is NECESSARY to convince the Non-White Victims that all white people are not playing on the same team AKA are NOT RACIST.
This CONFUSES the non-white Victims who will waste a lifetime trying to decide which white person is RACIST, and which white person is NOT (the ‘good white people’) — when IN REALITY, ALL white people BENEFIT from the mistreatment of non-white people.
I’m not bashing the black female victim in this video, but I believe it is NON-PRODUCTIVE to waste time “convincing” white people that racism is wrong or that “it hurts.”
White people clearly understand when AND how racism is being practiced. They ALSO understand that they would not want to be subjected to the kind of mistreatment that non-white people experience — AND will VIGOROUSLY OBJECT whenever they feel that they are being DENIED THEIR WHITE PRIVILEGES (treated like a “nigger.”)
For example, I have heard one white person say to another white person in response to being asked to perform a menial task: “You ain’t working me like a nigger.”
White people understand it is necessary to mistreat non-white people (AKA practice racism) to GUARANTEE THEIR WHITE PRIVILEGES.
Even when it appears that a white person is opposing racism, what often happens is that white person may be practicing a MORE REFINED (AND DECEPTIVE) FORM OF RACISM to confuse their Victims.
Because as long as their Victims STAY CONFUSED, they will NEVER have the UNDERSTANDING, the INFORMATION, or the WILL necessary to dismantle this system.
I also found it interesting that the black female’s sister-in-law (who has a black and a white parent) did NOT identify herself as another non-white person BUT continued to present herself as a white person — thereby, GUARANTEEING her continued use of her “white privileges” and allowing her the BEST of BOTH WORLDS — the white world and the black world.
In the white world, she has access to all the white privileges available, even though she is married to a black male. In addition she is a STAR in the black world because she CHOSE to be with black people, who will more than likely treat her BETTER than they would treat another black person.
I’m sure when this story was told to black family members and acquaintances, her stock in their eyes ROSE tremendously, and she is possibly now above reproach — a HOLY, NEAR-WHITE GRAIL.
Of course, I could be incorrect.
However, I have seen this dynamic play out many, many times, where black people are either OPENLY or SECRETLY thrilled by the presence of a white person OR a non-white person who could pass for white being part of their family OR social circle OR is sharing their BED.
This distorted and self-disrespecting mentality is a BY-PRODUCT of our 500+ YEARS OF VICTIMIZATION and PROGRAMMING under the system of white supremacy that teaches us from cradle to grave that WHITE IS SUPERIOR AND BLACK IS INFERIOR.
What is the best response when confronted by a non-white people who attempts to practice RETAIL RACISM against another victim?
In all honesty, there may not be a standard response that works well for all occasions, so any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
(Keep in mind that NO non-white person has the POWER to practice racism of any kind, UNLESS they are backed up by a more powerful white person).
“In 2008 black consumers had total earned income of $803 billion. They ranked 17th among the economies of the world in comparable gross national income.
We all know (we) black people spend a TON of money enriching the communities of people who despise us. I know black people who are “eating out” even when we are behind on our rent, mortgage, and utility bills. I know this because I was one of them.
There are many reasons for this, one of them being the NEED to please ourselves, treat ourselves, and soothe ourselves after being subjected to a lifetime of PSYCHOLOGICAL TRAUMA under the system of racism/white supremacy.
But, we are a RESILIENT PEOPLE, who are ABLE to learn from our experiences (if we choose to), and RIGHT NOW is the RIGHT TIME to use our EXPERIENCES as the Victims of racism to EMPOWER OURSELVES by RESPECTING OUR BLACK DOLLARS instead of enriching the businesses, families, and communities of THOSE WHO DESPISE US AND DISRESPECT US.
It is VERY telling that our SECOND biggest expenditure was FOOD (65.3 BILLION DOLLARS) while the LEAST amount of money was spent on BOOKS ($289 Million).
A great deal of our food dollars were spent on take-out and restaurant food, so let’s take a look at some of the WHITE-OWNED RESTAURANT CHAINS we regularly patronize where our hard-earned BLACK DOLLARS are NOT RESPECTED.
EXAMPLE # 1 — DOMINO’S PIZZA
Carla Robinson ordered a pizza from her local Domino’s and her niece saw “niggers don’t tip” on the receipt. She reported the incident to management and the offending party has been fired, but since that time she has received harassing phone calls that echo the sentiment expressed on the receipt.
SHERMAN – A Dallas pastor and members of her church are seeking $4.5 million in a lawsuit against Cracker Barrel for racial discrimination and assault after a staff member gave them a threatening note.
“This case arises out of an all too frequent act of blatant racism at the local Cracker Barrel,” the suit states. “At an after-church lunch, Pastor Hytlon, her husband, members of her congregation, and their children — all African-Americans — were treated to repeated slights by Cracker Barrel staff …”
According the lawsuit, the plaintiffs were all subjected to pervasive and intentional discrimination when they were subjected to extremely poor and disproportionate service relative to white customers, segregated seating, racial slurs, threats of bodily harm, and offensive physical contact.”
The alleged incident occurred on April 18, 2009, as Rev. Margelee Hylton and members of her congregation entered the Lewisville restaurant for lunch. The group states they waited an inordinate amount of time before being seated, and were then seated near the kitchen at the back of the restaurant.
After waiting for service and their food, the group was leaving when a Cracker Barrel employee allegedly handed them a note which stated: “Guns aren’t lawful; Nooses give; Gas smells awful; You might as well live.”
The plaintiffs complained to the cashier and to the manager but claim they were non-responsive.
Michelle Williams, here with daughter Delana, 10, says she was a victim of discrimination at Cracker Barrel.
Their stories sound like tales from the pre-civil rights era. Terri Wise, 34, of Charlotte, browsed in a local Cracker Barrel store in 2001. Wise, who is African-American, says a white saleswoman followed her.
When she picked up a doll, as shoppers do, the saleswoman took it from her and put it back on the shelf. The same thing happened with a greeting card. When Wise looked around, she noticed a white patron touching merchandise freely — without supervision.
The Rev. Henry Harris, 55, also African-American, says that at a Cracker Barrel restaurant in Arkansas two years ago, he and his family watched for 35 minutes as white diners in parties of the same size who arrived after him were escorted to tables.
He wound up in the smoking section “with other African-American patrons,” even though he had requested non-smoking and tables were open there. When he appealed to a manager, he “politely looked at me and said if we were dissatisfied … there was a Burger King” around the corner.
Chris Rock’s mother is to sue a South Carolina restaurant over claims she was the victim of racism by the eatery’s staff. Rose Rock and her 21-year-old daughter visited the Cracker Barrel chain’s restaurant in April. They allege they were the only blacks in the building and ignored for half an hour before anyone served them. Rose claims she asked the manager about the delay and was told they could have a free meal.
But she complains, “He never called over the waitresses and asked, ‘Why did these people sit here for an hour without service?’ The only thing he said was we could have a free meal and neither of us wanted to eat.”
Cracker Barrel spokeswoman Julie Davis insists the company doesn’t tolerate any form of discrimination: “It has always been a violation of our policies and procedures and it is neither condoned nor allowed.” She added the restaurant chain was investigating and taking the complaint “very seriously.”
Rose contacted the South Carolina Human Affairs Commission immediately after the incident and was told her complaint would be handled, but “nothing ever happened.”
Actually, we should NOT be surprised about all the incidents of racism. After all, the restaurant chain is named “CRACKER BARREL.”
EXAMPLE # 5 — DENNY’S
In the latest lawsuit against Denny’s, an African American family in East St. Louis, Illinois sued the restaurant chain for racial discrimination and has been awarded $600,000 in damages by a federal jury.
Sandra Green says that when her family went out to eat at Denny’s Restaurant, a white waiter deliberately ignored them and used racial slurs when the family finally did get service. Denny’s later fired the waiter.
Repeated Occurrences of Racism
In 1991, 18 young African American men decided to eat at a Denny’s restaurant in San Jose, California. The group claimed that they were racially discriminated against when the restaurant required them to pre-pay for their meals before being served.
Then, two years later in Annapolis, Maryland, six members of the uniformed division of the U.S. Secret Service filed a lawsuit against Denny’s after an incident in which they said they were refused breakfast service by a white waitress because they were black.
By December 1995, Denny’s had paid out settlements totaling $54 million to over 300,000 people who said they were racially discriminated against at Denny’s restaurants.
EXAMPLE #6 — LANDMARK STEAK HOUSE (ORANGE COUNTY, CA)
A federal lawsuit filed by a successful African-American businessman against a Newport Beach steakhouse that repeatedly listed him on credit card receipts as “McStinkyNigger,” “McNigShit” and “McCottonwood” has been mutually dismissed, according to records at Ronald Reagan Federal Courthouse in Orange County.
Court files show that lawyers representing plaintiff Mark McHenry and Landmark Steakhouse of Corona del Mar agreed to a stipulated settlement of the lawsuit on Feb. 2 — a month before the case was scheduled to be heard by a jury.
When confronted, restaurant employees including manager Dustin Caratello repeatedly apologized and attempted to downplay the bigotry, according to court records.
QUESTION: If the servers and management at these RACIST establishments are BOLD ENOUGH to mistreat BLACK PEOPLE to our BLACK FACES, what are they DOING TO OUR FOOD BEHIND CLOSED DOORS?
Dominos Pizza Employee fired and arrested (news)
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Extremely disgusting cook caught on hidden CCTV camera
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Dirty kitchen staff piss in milk and spit on food, caught on cctv
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Man gives woman a yogurt sampler laced with his semen
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A Personal Story
When a former boyfriend and I took a vacation to Vegas, we booked a room at one of the nicer hotels, only to find out that the RACIST desk clerk put us on a floor where construction was going on. I don’t want to name the hotel because I don’t remember which one it was.
After getting settled in our room, we went to a restaurant (I believe in the same hotel) later that evening, still in a great mood because we were on vacation. We ordered some kind of chicken dish and were served some meat that clearly WASN’T chicken. (Looking back, I suspect it was a rodent. Ugh!)
And being that we weren’t aggressive black folks, we very nicely, almost apologetically, asked them to bring us something else. The sly server didn’t ask any questions but took our plates away and brought a dish that looked like chicken. I suspected even then that he knew what the real problem was.
However, many, many times over the years, I often wondered what they might have done to the food we ate so willingly, as we sat there secretly humiliated, knowing we were being victimized because of the color of our skin.
And I was also appalled to realize that it was more important for a (white) stranger to think we were nice, mannerly Negroes who were afraid to speak honestly about our mistreatment than it was to RESPECT OURSELVES, get up from the table — without paying ONE DIME — and find another place to eat.
The next morning, we checked out and moved to another hotel.
It is painful to think about all the MANY times that I have been disrespected in retail stores and restaurants YET I STILL SPENT MY MONEY to enrich those racists. I won’t say that I will never be in that position again, but I will strive to do better to respect myself AND to encourage other black people to do the same.
There is NOTHING we need so badly (other than basic necessities) that is WORTH our SELF-RESPECT.
Not overpriced luxury cars (go to another dealer, or find a good used car and bank the difference).
Not fancy clothing. (Find a black designer. If you must have clothing with a white person’s name on your FEET, BACK, or BUTT, go to a resale or consignment shop in a wealthy neighborhood. The BARGAINS are incredible!)
Not fancy restaurant food. (some of the fanciest places have the NASTIEST KITCHENS and the most disgruntled and underpaid kitchen workers, like the ones you saw in the videos above).
We have done ENOUGH SHOPPING to last a thousand lifetimes. It is time to OPEN OUR OWN STORES and RESTAURANTS. And to support the black people who go into business, because OUR CHILDREN ARE WATCHING.
What Black People SHOULD DO When Confronted With “Retail/Restaurant Racism”
What Black People SHOULD NOT DO When Confronted With “Retail/Restaurant Racism”
Oprah on Zurich Racism Incident Sound Clip
NEVER, EVER BEG A RACIST TO TAKE YOUR MONEY.
THAT IS THE HEIGHT OF BLACK SELF-DISRESPECT.
WORDS TO LIVE BY WHENEVER YOU’RE CONFRONTED WITH RETAIL/RESTAURANT RACISM
PRINT THIS UP AND CARRY IT WITH YOU AT ALL TIMES
“Oops, thank you for the reminder. I had lost my mind for a minute. Forgot we’re in a system of racism. Let me get out of line. No need to spend my money here. I don’t need an apology. I don’t need any coupons. We’re both leaving and will not be back here ever again and will encourage all other non-white people to also refrain from spending a dime in your establishment.”
(Thank You, Gus!)
More Examples of Retail Racism
JOURNEYS (RETAIL STORE)
Keith Slater, 22, bought a pair of shoes from Journeys, but later returned them after finding a cheaper pair at another store. Slater received more than a refund, though.
Printed on the receipt to identify the customer are the words “Dumb N*gger”.
“When he showed me that receipt, I could not believe it. He couldn’t believe it. I couldn’t believe it. None of us got any sleep just thinking about it,” said Slater’s mother, Linda.
Slater’s father, Keith, feels that “the appropriate thing to do is to terminate the employee because it’s just inappropriate for that to be there, and then to have that deleted from their system.”
The Slaters filed a complaint with mall security, and a representative of the U.S. Department of Justice said it would refer the case to the FBI to determine whether a civil rights violation has occurred.
(look how the “objective” news anchors try to excuse the white female salesperson’s behavior without KNOWING the facts)
OUR MANTRA SHOULD BE: IF THEY DISRESPECT ONE OF US, THEY DISRESPECT ALL OF US
T-Mobile Black Customer Gets A Racist Receipt
(I bet money black people could SHUT THAT T-MOBILE DEALER down by NOT shopping there)
OUR MANTRA SHOULD BE: IF THEY DISRESPECT ONE OF US, THEY DISRESPECT ALL OF US
I’ll be on C.O.W.S. on Wednesday, August 20, 2013 at 7:00 pm to talk about the epidemic of “anti-blackness” among black people.
Gus Renegade, host of C.O.W.S., and I will discuss where anti-blackness originated, how it’s practiced BY black people against other black people, how anti-blackness threatens our survival and prosperity, and some suggestions on how we can reduce it.
I’ll hope you’ll tune in and share your questions and comments!
(click on the link above to listen and participate in Wednesday evening’s program)
What is C.O.W.S.?
The C.O.W.S., stands for “The Context of White Supremacy,” an internet radio program. This Program is specifically engineered for black and non-white listeners — Victims of White Supremacy.
The purpose of this Program is to provide the Victims of White Supremacy with constructive information and suggestions on how to counter Racist Woman and Racist Man.
I’ll be on C.O.W.S. on Wednesday, August 20, 2013 at 7:00 pm to talk about the epidemic of “anti-blackness” among black people.
Gus Renegade, host of C.O.W.S., and I will discuss where anti-blackness originated, how it’s practiced BY black people against other black people, how anti-blackness threatens our survival and prosperity, and some suggestions on how we can reduce it.
I’ll hope you’ll tune in and share your questions and comments!
(click on the link above to listen and participate in Wednesday evening’s program)
What is C.O.W.S.?
The C.O.W.S., stands for “The Context of White Supremacy,” an internet radio program. This Program is specifically engineered for black and non-white listeners — Victims of White Supremacy.
The purpose of this Program is to provide the Victims of White Supremacy with constructive information and suggestions on how to counter Racist Woman and Racist Man.
What I have learned over the years from my own personal experiences, is fancy titles (like — Executive Producer) given to black people (by white people) often have LITTLE TO NOTHING TO DO with who has the REAL POWER in that situation.
Giving “titles” is another way of showcasing black people to make it appear that blacks have real power and to make the black masses believe that “things have changed for the better” for black people — even while those masses are being victimized.
I suspect this is especially true in the entertainment industry because this industry LOVES giving dozens of people often meaningless titles, like:
OR was “The Butler” a movie that just happened to have some black people in it and associated with it?
First Things First: What is a Black Movie?
In my opinion, a BLACK MOVIE is a movie that is WRITTEN, ACTED, and PRODUCED by black people. There may be some random white and/or non-black people involved in the acting, production, and financing of the movie but the GUTS of the movie come out of the MINDS of black people. Definitely, the DECISION MAKERS are black people.
The WORDS that come out of the actors’ MOUTHS come from an AUTHENTIC BLACK EXPERIENCE and BLACK PERSPECTIVE, which can ONLY come from a BLACK PERSON.
That is MY definition of a BLACK MOVIE.
So, I did a little digging to see what I could find and thought I would share what I found with you and let you draw your OWN conclusions.
Some Basic Questions and Answers about “The Butler” Movie
(I will use this title even though the correct name of the movie is, “Lee Daniels’ The Butler”)
1. Who wrote the screenplay for the movie, The Butler?
Strong was hired to write “The Butler” in 2009, a year before Daniels even signed on as director.
“I’m incredibly proud of the movie,” Strong told HuffPost Entertainment about “The Butler,” his first feature film script. “The movie was such a labor of love for so many of us. I think Lee’s done a wonderful job. It’s definitely not just another writing job.”
New York, NY – September 24, 2012 – The Weinstein Company (TWC) announced today that they have acquired U.S. rights from Butler Films to distribute THE BUTLER, directed by Academy Award nominated Lee Daniels (PRECIOUS).
4. Who makes the most money percentage wise from a blockbuster movie that makes millions of dollars?
From what I gathered here’s some info on payouts that may not apply to all movies
Typically, directors are paid less than actors and are paid a SALARY, not a percentage of the box office receipts. Even name directors will only make as much as B-list actors in their contracts. If you’re comparing a director to an actress or actor like Oprah or Forest Whitaker, they will be making more than the director on that project.
A HUGELY successful movie means it’s likely that the producers will make more money than the directors
The share of Box Office paid over to distributors (like the Weinstein Company) varies between territories. The typical exhibitor’s share in the US is 45% to 55% and in the Rest of the World 55% to 65%. Royalty deals, under which the distributor usually keeps more of the revenues, tend to be more common. In other words, the DISTRIBUTORS (Movie Studios) make the LION’S SHARE of the box office receipts. Keep that in mind the next time you want to “support” a “black movie.”
5. Who were the major decision makers during the production and filming of the movie, “The Butler?”
Obviously, I can’t answer that question BUT I try to follow the logic. Since the majority of people involved in this project, especially the people who provided financing and distribution, were WHITE, I think it is safe to say that WHITE PEOPLE were the MAIN decision-makers for this “black movie.”
And I suspect that Lee Daniels had the LEAST amount of control over the picture, even when it came to NAMING the picture after himself.
Lee Daniels doesn’t “feel so good” about the new title for his upcoming movie about a longtime White House butler, he tells The Hollywood Reporter. But the film’s stars seem to feel fine about the title and the attention generated by The Weinstein Co.’s highly publicized dispute with Warner Bros. over the name of the film, which resulted in it being called Lee Daniels’ The Butler.
In July, The MPAA’s Title Registration Bureau ruled that The Weinstein Co. could not use the title The Butler, which is also the name of a 1916 Warner Bros. short film. Weinstein appealed the decision and tried to get Warner Bros. to back down, but TRB’s appeals board agreed with the earlier decision, so the title was changed to Lee Daniels’ The Butler.
During the dispute with Warner Bros., Daniels was concerned about the title and frustrated.
“Lee was like ‘What are we gonna call the movie?’ ” co-star Oprah Winfrey recalls.
Lead actor Forest Whitaker, who plays longtime White House butler Cecil Gaines, says, “I was talking to Lee about it, and he was frustrated by the process and he was just trying to finish the film and stuff, and I just tried to offer support.”
Castmember Cuba Gooding Jr. explains that Daniels wasn’t sure about having his name in the title.
“Lee was very insecure about the fact that his name would be mentioned,” he tells THR. “But I said, ‘No, Lee, now they’ll know that this is you, all-encompassing of what you do and how great a filmmaker you are.'”
Daniels admits he’s still not comfortable with his name in the title of the film.
“I try to touch impoverished kids and try to teach them that they … can become filmmakers. I don’t want to say ‘look at me.’ I’m not ready for people to look at me,” he tells THR. “I don’t know if they’ll know what you know, which is that the MPAA forced this decision on me.”
But he has another week to make his peace with it.
“Hopefully next week I’ll feel better about the title. Right now I don’t feel so good about the title,” he says.
(to see the video and read the entire article, click on the link below)
After doing some research on this movie, things are actually worse than I thought they were — AND my initial suspicions that this is movie is little more than WHITE SUPREMACY PROPAGANDA disguised as an entertaining and enlightening slice of “black civil rights history.”
That being said — it is up to every individual to answer the question for themselves:
Is ‘Lee Daniels’ The Butler’ — a “black” movie?
After I watch the movie–and that won’t happen until a FREE COPY is available at my local library–I may write another post on what I think about the entire movie.
However, at the present time, I am pretty much convinced that this movie does NOT fit the definition of a BLACK MOVIE — but is in fact, a movie with some black people connected to it — USING some very well-known BLACK FACES to PROMOTE the CONTINUED SUBMISSION and SERVITUDE by black people to white supremacy, white power, and white people.
As Oprah Winfrey said to her black son in the movie, “Everything you have, you owe to that butler.”
The underlying question to me is: who does the Butler owe everything to?
What I have learned over the years from my own personal experiences, is fancy titles (like — Executive Producer) given to black people (by white people) often have LITTLE TO NOTHING TO DO with who has the REAL POWER in that situation.
Giving “titles” is another way of showcasing black people to make it appear that blacks have real power and to make the black masses believe that “things have changed for the better” for black people — even while those masses are being victimized.
I suspect this is especially true in the entertainment industry because this industry LOVES giving dozens of people often meaningless titles, like:
OR was “The Butler” a movie that just happened to have some black people in it and associated with it?
First Things First: What is a Black Movie?
In my opinion, a BLACK MOVIE is a movie that is WRITTEN, ACTED, and PRODUCED by black people. There may be some random white and/or non-black people involved in the acting, production, and financing of the movie but the GUTS of the movie come out of the MINDS of black people. Definitely, the DECISION MAKERS are black people.
The WORDS that come out of the actors’ MOUTHS come from an AUTHENTIC BLACK EXPERIENCE and BLACK PERSPECTIVE, which can ONLY come from a BLACK PERSON.
That is MY definition of a BLACK MOVIE.
So, I did a little digging to see what I could find and thought I would share what I found with you and let you draw your OWN conclusions.
Some Basic Questions and Answers about “The Butler” Movie
(I will use this title even though the correct name of the movie is, “Lee Daniels’ The Butler”)
1. Who wrote the screenplay for the movie, The Butler?
Strong was hired to write “The Butler” in 2009, a year before Daniels even signed on as director.
“I’m incredibly proud of the movie,” Strong told HuffPost Entertainment about “The Butler,” his first feature film script. “The movie was such a labor of love for so many of us. I think Lee’s done a wonderful job. It’s definitely not just another writing job.”
New York, NY – September 24, 2012 – The Weinstein Company (TWC) announced today that they have acquired U.S. rights from Butler Films to distribute THE BUTLER, directed by Academy Award nominated Lee Daniels (PRECIOUS).
4. Who makes the most money percentage wise from a blockbuster movie that makes millions of dollars?
From what I gathered here’s some info on payouts that may not apply to all movies
Typically, directors are paid less than actors and are paid a SALARY, not a percentage of the box office receipts. Even name directors will only make as much as B-list actors in their contracts. If you’re comparing a director to an actress or actor like Oprah or Forest Whitaker, they will be making more than the director on that project.
A HUGELY successful movie means it’s likely that the producers will make more money than the directors
The share of Box Office paid over to distributors (like the Weinstein Company) varies between territories. The typical exhibitor’s share in the US is 45% to 55% and in the Rest of the World 55% to 65%. Royalty deals, under which the distributor usually keeps more of the revenues, tend to be more common. In other words, the DISTRIBUTORS (Movie Studios) make the LION’S SHARE of the box office receipts. Keep that in mind the next time you want to “support” a “black movie.”
5. Who were the major decision makers during the production and filming of the movie, “The Butler?”
Obviously, I can’t answer that question BUT I try to follow the logic. Since the majority of people involved in this project, especially the people who provided financing and distribution, were WHITE, I think it is safe to say that WHITE PEOPLE were the MAIN decision-makers for this “black movie.”
And I suspect that Lee Daniels had the LEAST amount of control over the picture, even when it came to NAMING the picture after himself.
Lee Daniels doesn’t “feel so good” about the new title for his upcoming movie about a longtime White House butler, he tells The Hollywood Reporter. But the film’s stars seem to feel fine about the title and the attention generated by The Weinstein Co.’s highly publicized dispute with Warner Bros. over the name of the film, which resulted in it being called Lee Daniels’ The Butler.
In July, The MPAA’s Title Registration Bureau ruled that The Weinstein Co. could not use the title The Butler, which is also the name of a 1916 Warner Bros. short film. Weinstein appealed the decision and tried to get Warner Bros. to back down, but TRB’s appeals board agreed with the earlier decision, so the title was changed to Lee Daniels’ The Butler.
During the dispute with Warner Bros., Daniels was concerned about the title and frustrated.
“Lee was like ‘What are we gonna call the movie?’ ” co-star Oprah Winfrey recalls.
Lead actor Forest Whitaker, who plays longtime White House butler Cecil Gaines, says, “I was talking to Lee about it, and he was frustrated by the process and he was just trying to finish the film and stuff, and I just tried to offer support.”
Castmember Cuba Gooding Jr. explains that Daniels wasn’t sure about having his name in the title.
“Lee was very insecure about the fact that his name would be mentioned,” he tells THR. “But I said, ‘No, Lee, now they’ll know that this is you, all-encompassing of what you do and how great a filmmaker you are.'”
Daniels admits he’s still not comfortable with his name in the title of the film.
“I try to touch impoverished kids and try to teach them that they … can become filmmakers. I don’t want to say ‘look at me.’ I’m not ready for people to look at me,” he tells THR. “I don’t know if they’ll know what you know, which is that the MPAA forced this decision on me.”
But he has another week to make his peace with it.
“Hopefully next week I’ll feel better about the title. Right now I don’t feel so good about the title,” he says.
(to see the video and read the entire article, click on the link below)
After doing some research on this movie, things are actually worse than I thought they were — AND my initial suspicions that this is movie is little more than WHITE SUPREMACY PROPAGANDA disguised as an entertaining and enlightening slice of “black civil rights history.”
That being said — it is up to every individual to answer the question for themselves:
Is ‘Lee Daniels’ The Butler’ — a “black” movie?
After I watch the movie–and that won’t happen until a FREE COPY is available at my local library–I may write another post on what I think about the entire movie.
However, at the present time, I am pretty much convinced that this movie does NOT fit the definition of a BLACK MOVIE — but is in fact, a movie with some black people connected to it — USING some very well-known BLACK FACES to PROMOTE the CONTINUED SUBMISSION and SERVITUDE by black people to white supremacy, white power, and white people.
As Oprah Winfrey said to her black son in the movie, “Everything you have, you owe to that butler.”
The underlying question to me is: who does the Butler owe everything to?
“Movies are not about Blacks but what Whites think about Blacks.” — Ralph Ellison, author of the novel, Invisible Man.
I will admit that my negative “review” of the movie, “The Butler,” is a bit premature. I will even admit that I will probably never pay to see it because I refuse to financially support most movies produced by (white) Hollywood (although I will rent one FOR FREE from the public library whenever the mood hits me).
Nearly every movie I have seen, including the “black” movies produced by (white) Hollywood, PROMOTE white supremacy/Black inferiority EVEN when it appears that this is NOT happening.
Is it my imagination or does the ‘butler’ in this movie poster resemble President Obama?
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In my experience the majority of Hollywood-Produced “Black” Films Usually Fall Into One of Five Categories:
1.the “good black” female triumphing over the “evil” black male: (The Color Purple, Waiting To Exhale, I Can Do Bad All By Myself, For Colored Girls, Diary of a Mad Black Woman, Precious)
2. the “good black” male triumphing against the odds without the support or even an appearance by a black female (The Blind Side, The Pursuit of Happiness, most Denzel Washington and Morgan Freeman movies. )
3. the “good black” maleor female sacrificing himself or herself for the good of white humanity (most Morgan Freeman and after-the-Oscar Denzel Washington movies) where the black person is surrounded by white people, does not socialize with black people, risks his or her life, and/or dies in service to white people, like:
The Green Mile (black male dies for a little white girl and in his spare time restores a white male’s ability to have an erection (sic)
In the Mix (black male risks his life for white female)
The Reaping (a black male dies for white female)
The Call (where Halle Berry, a slender, non-muscular black female, plays a 911 operator turned Captain Save A White Female after a young, blonde white female is abducted. Definitely, a DE-FEMINIZING role for a black actress, to play the HERO who rescues the white damsel in distress.
It is very telling that there are FEW TO NONE movies showing a black male OR a white male rescuing black girls or black women, other than Whitney Houston in “The Bodyguard” — and she wound up giving Kevin Costner her MONEY and HER BODY to entice him to protect her, only to watch him ride off into the distance at the end of the movie.
It is equally telling that there are NO movies showing a “good black” male and a “good black” female working TOGETHER to solve their problems. Because they don’t want us to love and support and care for each other.It is NO different than the way it was on the slave plantation when slaves were discouraged from caring for each other.
A dead black man walking and smiling on the day of his own execution (???)
4. the black female AKA “a white man’s whore” (plaything or toy) with either a black female as the main character (most Halle Berry films after her Oscar) or as a super minor character where her ONLY purpose is to make herself sexually available to a white male, who most of the time, is clearly NOT interested in her romantically. This is an increasingly common theme in many movies and TV shows produced today.
The black female BACKGROUND actress is little more than wallpaper. She is usually alone, single, unloved and uncared for. In the 2003 movie, “Hollywood Wives: the New Generation,” beautiful actress, Robin Givens was the only black person in her social circle.
She ‘lunched,’ and sauna-ed, and gossiped with her white girlfriends but she never ONCE had a man, never ONCE had a date, never ONCE had a man flirt with her, kiss her, or even touch her.
This is another common theme (TACTIC) in many Hollywood movies, to portray the black female as a SEX-LESS, desperate being who is unable to attract a man — regardless of how she looks — and is driven to beg for sexual attention from white males.
This is a critical part of the white supremacy DIVIDE-AND-CONQUER strategy used successfully against black people. By making it FALSELY appear that black females are SEXUALLY UNDESIRABLE to most men, we become LESS DESIRABLE to those confused black males who do not understand how they have been programmed against the black female AND themselves. That confusion often leads them to seek out non-black females as lovers and mates.
Over the last ten months, in all the movies I watched (FOR FREE) whenever a black actress appeared in a “white” movie, she was either a servant OR she was lusting after a white male.
Not once, was she romanced or pursued or even desired by the white male. If sexual intercourse occurred between the black female and the white male (most of the time it didn’t), his attitude overall was one of,
“Oh well, even though she’s black, she does have a vagina so I might as well use it.”
5. The latest category of MODERN black roles: domestic servants for white people.
Hattie McDaniel–The first Black woman AND the first black person to win an Academy Award. In 1939, she won for playing the character “Mammy,” in the pre-Civil War movie Gone With the Wind.
Octavia Spencer–won the Academy Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role in 2011 for her portrayal of Minny Jackson in The Help, she became the sixth African-American woman to win an Oscar.
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Scene from “The Butler”
The domestic servant roles have been REGURGITATED from old racist movies like “Gone With the Wind,” The Little Foxes, and “The Little Rebel,” showing black males and females as the “noble, domestic servants” (or slaves) who dedicate their lives (willingly OR unwilling) to serve the needs of their white employers (masters), like:
“But it’s disappointing that in a movie devoted to explaining the abolition of slavery in the United States, African-American characters do almost nothing but passively wait for white men to liberate them.
For some 30 years, historians have been demonstrating that slaves were crucial agents in their emancipation; however imperfectly, Ken Burns’s 1990 documentary “The Civil War” brought aspects of that interpretation to the American public.
Yet Mr. Spielberg’s “Lincoln” gives us only faithful servants, patiently waiting for the day of Jubilee. This is not mere nit-picking. Mr. Spielberg’s “Lincoln” helps perpetuate the notion that African Americans have offered little of substance to their own liberation.”
It is obvious (to me) that Hollywood is quickly and vigorously WHITE-WASHING American history — especially black history — AND at the same time re-creating more SEGREGATION-ERA imagery in today’s movies–cleverly disguised as “entertainment” —
Which should serve as a warning of THINGS TO COME.
“My younger sister just graduated from college and the only job she could find (in 2012) was a job cleaning white women’s houses.” — from a black male COWS listener.
Considering the rise of overt racism AND violence against blacks — in part thanks to racist Hollywood movies — why would the MAJOR PROPAGANDA ARM of the white supremacy system — the Hollywood movie-making machine — promote and finance ANY movie that does NOT promote white supremacy?
White supremacy DOES NOT take a day off.
It DOES NOT give its black and non-white victims “a break” so we can win a game or two on the white supremacy chess board.
It DOES NOT have a heart or a conscience, but it does understand its victims and what makes them tick and what they hunger for.
The white supremacy system knows the best way to fool its victims is to pour a little sugar on a rotten piece of meat to hide the STINK (of racism).
The Green Mile Execution Scene
By casting famous and popular blacks (including singers and comedians who can’t act) in movie roles, the black victims begin to believe the masses of black people are making progress simply because more black faces are visible in the movie industry,
which guarantees the black audience will be MORE LIKELY to overlook the real messages in these dangerously deceptive films.
Even when black people are portrayed as heroes and heroines, we are either SERVING, RISKING, OR LOSING OUR LIVES in the service of and to the benefit of white people.
We are almost never shown helping other black people, just harming them. This PROGRAMMING carries over to our REAL LIVES and our collective lack of trust AND support for each other.
It is also a CARRYOVER from the SLAVE TRADITIONS of American plantation slaves who were severely punished–even murdered–for being loyal to other slaves.
“Black” movies, black actors and actresses + (white) Hollywood = WHITE DOMINATION/BLACK SUBMISSION.
We know this is true because Serving, Sexing, AND Sacrificing one’s life for one’s enemies is the greatest act of SUBMISSION humanly possible.
Shirley Temple, The Littlest Rebel (1935)’
The Help Movie Clip “Minny Comes to Work for Celia”
WE MUST STOP FINANCING AND PARTICIPATING IN OUR OWN DEGRADATION
This is RAW video of an anonymous white woman, in a coffee shop whom takes exception to a Mexican male sitting in close proximity to her. She receives multiple complaints from patrons and a coffee shop employee eventually asks her to leave. She threatens to call police at one point and even threatens to kill this non-white male’s entire Mexican family.
This Mexican male moved away from this white woman when she started yelling. This angry white christian woman then proceeded to get in his face and threaten lives of his entire family. Outside this coffee shop premises she even lashes out at a person filming her angry tirade.
The increasing racial antagonism provoked by the mainstream media is making racists more unstable and more likely to “act out” against blacks and non-whites who are portrayed as the enemies of “good, decent (usually Christian) white people.”
If this white female had a “concealed carry” weapon and a “stand your ground” law backing her play, would she have used it? Maybe.
It is obvious (to me) that the “Stand your Ground” and “concealed carry” laws (which were created mainly for white people to kill non-white people) have potentially created a modern day Wild, Wild West when — as my Guru explained it — whites were allowed to kill “Indians” without being arrested or tried for murder.
Only this time, WE (blacks and non-whites) are the Indians.
Take the Nov. 29 shooting deaths of Timothy Russell and Malissa Williams in Cleveland: After leading police on a 25-minute chase through city streets, Russell found himself surrounded in a dead-end in East Cleveland.
Police have said that they opened fire when Russell tried to run one of them over. That version may eventually be tested in court, but what is undisputed is that 13 officers unloaded a total of 137 bullets into Russell’s 1979 Chevy Malibu, killing both him and Williams.
In an interview with The Daily Beast, Williams’s uncle, Walter Jackson, said that 24 bullets had been removed from her body and the damage to her face and torso was extensive.
Law enforcement investigate the scene of a police chase/shooting that killed 2 persons
A roadside memorial for Timothy Russell and Malissa Williams
Williams’s mother, Martha Mae Williams, said, “I’m not going to let them close her casket. They’re going to have to look at what the police did to my child.”
Particia Larry, right, on June 2, 2012, in Milwaukee, holding a picture of her son son Darius Simmons, 13, and John Henry Spooner, left.
In Milwaukee, police say John Henry Spooner shot Simmons, his next door neighbor, last May after accusingthe boy of stealing $3,000 worth of guns from his home. The teen, who had lived with his mother next door to Spooner for only a month, was taking out the trash around 10:00 a.m. when Spooner accused the boy of the theft and demanded he return the shotguns.
The boy told Spooner he had not stolen the guns and his mother, Patricia Larry, told the elderly man to go back inside. Spooner then pulled out a handgun and shot Simmons in the chest from only five feet away, killing the boy.
Spooner allegedly told arriving officers, “Yeah, I shot him.”
“My son, Darius Simmons, was shot and killed in front of me,” Larry, his mother, told the Sentinel in May after the trial was delayed for a second time.
(On July 17, 2013 3:20 PM, Spooner was found guilty of murder)
(CBS) MINNEAPOLIS – Minneapolis police are calling the death of a 9-year-old boy found hanging from a clothesline suspicious. According to CBS Minnesota, residents in the McKinley neighborhood found the boy hanging from his neck on a clothesline in the backyard of an abandoned home last Thursday. They got him down and performed CPR, but the boy died of his injuries Monday night. (July 4, 2013)
Even though the boy’s identity has not been released (to my knowledge) it is strongly suspected that the boy (who was visiting from Georgia) was black. Another “clue” that might confirm this is: THE MAINSTREAM MEDIA HAS BEEN LARGELY SILENT ABOUT HIS MURDER.
Had he been a white boy I believe this case would have received national attention. Of course, I could be incorrect. Only time will tell.
A few words of advice for black people. (This could also apply to any non-white person)
Avoid places where large numbers of white people are consuming alcohol because you might be targeted for mistreatment. If something does happen, understand that the POLICE will NOT be on your side, regardless of the evidence or witness accounts.
Do NOT argue with white strangers unless you are defending property or life. For example, defending President Obama to an angry white person (or persons) in the wrong place and at the wrong time could land you in the hospital, jail, or worse. You do NOT know who is ‘carrying’ and who is not. A white person looking for an excuse to use up some of his or her stockpiled bullets might decide you are the perfect target. Don’t make it easy for them. (This is not an exaggeration.)
Avoid living in predominantly white towns (and states) where there are few black people because this makes you an exceptionally EASY TARGET for mistreatment. For example, there was a news story earlier this year about an older black male living in a small, all-white town in Arizona who was stopped by police and charged with being under the influence even though the breathalyzer showed a 0.00 and there were no drugs in his system. The police impounded his car and charged him with a DUI. He later admitted that he had been harassed by police before. If he is married to a white female (which is highly likely in an all-white town with few black people), this made him an even more VISIBLE target for police. He may find that a drunk driving arrest is minor compared to the fate suffered by many DECEASED black motorists at the hands of white police. Hopefully, he will get a clue and move out of harm’s way. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2338471/Sober-driver-charged-DUI-Arizona-police-said-tell-looking-him.html
To black males: Seriously CONSIDER the dangers of dating white females because you are an EASY TARGET for mistreatment. There are a lot of angry, frustrated and disenfranchised white males who are looking for ANY excuse to attack you. Being with a white female is one of them. Ask yourself if “she” is worth dying over because that might be the choice that you are making.
To black females: Seriously CONSIDER the dangers of dating white males because you are an EASY TARGET for mistreatment. There are a lot of angry, frustrated and disenfranchised white males who are looking for ANY excuse to demean, degrade, even kill you. Ask yourself if “he” is worth losing your dignity, self-respect, and possibly your life because that might be the choice that you are making.
To black males and black females: Stop attacking and bashing other victims. Black people fighting each other is like a husband and wife trapped inside a house, where a mob is setting the house on fire and trying to break in and kill them. Instead of that man and woman coming together and finding a way to survive, they are fussing and fighting with each other over who left the toilet seat up. It makes no sense. Neither does US fighting each other while our ENEMIES are setting our house on fire — with us in it.
I have to be honest, I’m conflicted about advocating boycotts of this nature for several reasons:
1. It is difficult to get large numbers of people to actually follow through when there are over a dozen brands and companies they must keep track of. I think boycotts are MORE effective when there is ONE SPECIFIC TARGET.
For example, the Montgomery Bus Boycott was effective because it AFFECTED EVERY BLACK PERSON in that city; it FOCUSED on ONE BUS COMPANY, and the refusal of blacks to ride on a segregated bus DIRECTLY IMPACTED that bus line’s BOTTOM LINE.
2. What are the available black-owned alternatives to buying products from white-owned companies? There are things we can clearly do without, like a trip to Disney World, but what about those things that black people cannot OR will not do without? There clearly needs to MORE FOCUS on building RELIABLE black businesses and how to persuade black people to support them.
3. What about the black people who work for those white companies? Should they boycott the workplace OR will those targeted companies decide to “boycott us?”
4. Since racism/white supremacy (and ‘Stand Your Ground’ laws) are NOT restricted to the state of Florida, what about the other 49 states?
5. If we do NOT tackle the ANTI-BLACKNESS within ourselves AND each other, no amount of boycotts or demonstrations or protests or anything else will make a difference. Why? Because BLACK PEOPLE have been PROGRAMMED TO NOT LIKE OR SUPPORT EACH OTHER COLLECTIVELY.
Not because we’re “bad” or “hateful” or “ignorant” or “defective,” it’s due to the 500 YEARS OF WHITE SUPREMACY BRAIN-TRASHING AND RACIST OPPRESSION that is STILL going on to this day.
Thanks to “integration,” black people have so many “choices” in places to live and shop and spend and sex and love and breed, that many of us have “chosen ” to live with, live around, shop with, spend with, love, sex, and breed with ANYBODY BUT A BLACK PERSON OR BLACK BUSINESS,
If that is true (and I believe it is) it will take a MIRACLE to change our SPENDING HABITS without TACKLING THE TOUCHY TOPIC OF ANTI-BLACKNESS — which is the ROOT SOURCE of our inability to support each other both in AND out of the bedroom, black male AND black female.
All that being said, I greatly respect and admire the bloggers that have made the EFFORT to push for black empowerment and black self-respect. That is why I’m supporting the boycott, despite some misgivings.
Another good thing about this boycott is it re-activates the CONVERSATION about HOW black people spend our dollars and why we get so little in return, and some suggestions on what we can do about it.
For example, a post from one of DiaryofaNegress’s blog listed the black owned hair care products VS the non-black owned hair care products. Very useful information! We can make CONSCIOUS decisions to support the black-owned brands with the knowledge that black companies also PROVIDE JOBS for more black people.
For the foreseeable future I’m going to devote more blogging (and book writing) time to FOCUSING on BLACK ECONOMICS and ANTI-BLACKNESS.
I hope you’ll support the bloggers just for making an EFFORT to make constructive changes for ALL black people.
support black businesses!
Boycott White AmeriKlan Business! Boycott the Entire State of Florida!
In protest of the Zimmerman verdict, and all the victims of white supremacy that you don’t hear about, I am writing a post urging ALL black people from all over the world that read my blog to help me in a simple yet difficult task. White people have consistently demonstrated that they only understand and respond to 3 things:
Racism Is White Supremacy 