The Maids

A film by Muriel Jackson

1985 | 28 minutes | Color | DVD | Order No. 05118

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SYNOPSIS

Domestic service has long been branded as demeaning work: it involves long hours, menial toil and low pay. Historically, and not coincidentally, it has been one of the only occupations open to African American women in this country. As African American women have begun to move away from domestic labor into other jobs, white-owned entrepreneurial maid services employing primarily white women have arisen. This intriguing and articulate documentary looks at the history of domestic work since slavery and the ambivalence felt by African American women towards it. Offering a sophisticated analysis of the racial and sexual division of labor in this country, THE MAIDS! is an excellent resource for women's, African American and labor studies.

PRESS

"Provides a unique, insightful look into one of the last vestiges of colonial relations between blacks and whites."

Kimberly Everett Media Alternative Project

ABOUT FILMMAKER(S)

Muriel Jackson

Muriel Jackson has more than 30 years of experience in media, media production and media education. An integrated marketing and PR maven by profession, she has also produced independent documentaries and taught college-level communications courses. Over three decades, she has engaged in communications advocacy and managed projects or campaigns for numerous governmental, educational and social justice organizations, including the Ford Foundation, the Illinois Attorney General's Office, the US Census Bureau, among others. She has also managed media and public relations projects for several colleges and universities and arts organizations, most notably, the Chicago History Museum and the Chicago Academy for the Arts. Jackson has used her interest in public policy, quality-of-life, and cultural issues to produce and direct independent documentaries, including "The Maids!" and "Objects of Hate, Objects of Desire," a documentary on the collecting of Black memorabilia.

In addition to her professional work, Jackson has taught communications classes at several universities. (07/19).

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