@boomerang,
Well, The Help takes place during the 60's about the time Medger Evers was killed, as was then President Kennedy. The white lady writes a book about the "help" which refers to the maids in a small town in Mississippi.
How would you separate what the white people were doing, without the black maids finally finding their groove, allowing the white journalist to tell their side of the story.
I liked the movie "Buck," too. Precious story, about one of Robert Redford's "authentic" people. Water for Elephants was fantastic.