A History Of Black Maids In Hollywood
As we mark the 12th anniversary of the release of "The Help" in 2011, we look back at the history of Black maids in Hollywood.
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As we mark the 12th anniversary of the release of "The Help" in 2011, we look back at the history of Black maids in Hollywood. The anniversary of "The Help" serves as a reminder of the industry's progress while highlighting the need for continued efforts to tell authentic and empowering stories of Black women in cinema.
Photo By Photo by Silver Screen Collection/Getty Images, DreamWorks Pictures
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Hattie McDaniel: Gone With The Wind - For her famous role as the sassy, tell-it-like-tis maid Mammy in 1939’s Gone With the Wind, Hattie McDaniel made history by becoming the first Black actress to win an Oscar. To those criticizing her for constantly playing maid parts in film, she gave the famous reply: “I'd rather play a maid than be one.” Nuff said. (Photo: Silver Screen Collection/Getty Images)
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Dorothy Dandridge: Lucky Jordan - Although Dorothy Dandridge famously refused to play a mammy as her star rose in the 1950s, she too had to play the maid in order to get paid, especially early on in her film career. On her way to becoming the first Black woman nominated for a best actress Oscar, she starred as a maid (uncredited) in the 1942 movie Lucky Jordan. (Photo: Hulton Archive/Getty Images)
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Juanita Moore: Imitation of Life - We all know Juanita Moore as the mother of the pimp Goldie in the 1973 blaxploitation classic The Mack. But this long-time actress had her breakout role in the 1959 remake of Imitation of Life. Playing the maid Annie Johnson, Moore pulled double duty: taking care of her bosses home while also reminding her own daughter—who was passing for white—that she should accept her Blackness.
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Marla Gibbs: The Jeffersons - Playing the Jeffersons’ unfiltered, barb-tossing housekeeper Florence Johnston was Marla Gibbs. But Florence wasn't your average maid, the actress tackled the character with wit and fire. The series aired for 11 seasons, from 1975 to 1985.
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