Conversations about race inspired by “The Help.”

Tuesday, 07 February 2012

Kathryn Stockett’s debut novel “The Help” became a New York Times Bestseller and last year’s film adaptation became Hollywood’s 2011 runaway hit.  The story depicts the parallel yet intricately interwoven worlds of black and white Americans in the early 1960s and it’s been sparking deeper conversations about race in the U.S. and just how far we’ve come since the civil rights movement. 

Later this month, a series of conversations on race and reconciliation come to Fort Myers including a look at the historical role of race in society compared today, how novels like “The Help” can be a vehicle for healing, and an exploration of the myths and realities of black segregated schools.