As part of the 2014 Black History Month Celebration, Delta College screened Lee Daniels’ “The Butler”.
The showings were on Feb. 11 at the Ricker Center and Feb. 12 in the Main Campus Lecture Theater.
The event was sponsored by the Student Diversity and Inclusions Programs, along with Delta College’s Student Engagement Office. The film screenings were open to the public.
Lee Daniels’ film depicted the true story of the challenging, yet triumphant life of Cecil Gaines (Forest Whitaker).
Gaines is an African American butler who served eight presidents in the White House during times of dramatic change in America caused by events like the civil rights movement and the war in Vietnam.
The impact of the film’s message of fighting for change despite of adversity was immediate, according to Amy McPike, a Shepherd native and Coordinator of Campus Life at Delta College..
“I thought it was a wonderful and emotional movie,” said Amy McPike of Student Engagement, a Shepherd Michigan native and coordinator of campus life at Delta College. “It did a great job of highlighting the positive things of the time, and not just focusing on the negative.”
Jaleeah Grice, a 17 year old anesthesiology major from Saginaw, enjoyed “The Butler”
“It was a good movie, and it helped me learn some things about Black history,” Grice said. “My favorite part was in the end, when Cecil got to see Barack Obama become the first African American president.”
Benicia Garcia, a 15 year old from Saginaw studying culinary arts enjoyed the film as well.
“I liked it when Cecil protested against Apartheid with his son in the end,” said Garcia.12