Eugene Allen was quite a man. He started service in the White House in 1952, in the pantry.when blacks weren't allowed to use public restrooms in his native Virginia. He served presidents as racial history was being made, from Brown v. Board of Education to the 1963 march on Washington to the assassinations of Martin Luther King Jr. and President John F. Kennedy.
Allen left the job in 1986, when Ronald Reagan was in office. Columbia Motion Picture has picked up Allen's life rights as well as the rights to a Washington Post article that was published November 7, three days after Barack Obama was elected president. On Election Day, Allen cast his vote alone; his wife died the day before.
Laura Ziskin, the film's producer, said the movie would act "as a portrait of an extraordinary African-American man who has lived to see the world turn. It's about the essence of this man and what he saw, as well as the love story with his wife."
This link gives you an overview of the contribution that Eugene made while in the White House. The Man At The Door
Source: Reuters/Hollywood Reporter
2 comments:
Wow, how awesome that you posted this. My mom was just telling me about this gentleman and his extraordinary story last night!!
What a life that must have been!
He is quite a gentleman. I was so intriqued Regina by this story. Although he must of endured a lot in his tenure on the White House Staff. He left his position with dignity and grace. It was probably because of his sense of duty that lasted in his position for that long.
He was a very trusted staff member.
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