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Itzl Alert Network: Tuesday, 22nd of July, 2025: The Butler [1]

['This Content Is Not Subject To Review Daily Kos Staff Prior To Publication.']

Date: 2025-07-21

I have another book report for you.

A short book, and a short report.

The little dog is named Itzl. As you can see by Itzl's concerned look, this group is for us to check in at, to let people know we are alive, doing OK, and not affected by such things as heat, blizzards, floods, wildfires, hurricanes, tornadoes, power outages, or other such things that could keep us off Daily Kos. If you're not here, or anywhere else on Daily Kos, and there are adverse conditions in your area (floods, heatwaves, hurricanes, etc.), we are going to check up on you. If you are going to be away from your computer for a day or a week, let us know here. We care! IAN is a great group to join, and a good place to learn to write diaries. Drop one of us a PM to be added to the Itzl Alert Network anytime! We all share the publishing duties, and we welcome everyone who reads IAN to write diaries for the group! Every member is an editor, so anyone can take a turn when they have something to say, photos and music to share, a cause to promote or news! This is our current schedule of regular IAN diary writers: Monday: Youffraita Tuesday: bigjacbigjacbigjac Wednesday: Pam from Calif Thursday: art ah zen Friday: FloridaSNMOM Saturday: FloridaSNDad Sunday: loggersbrat

The title of the book:

The Butler:

A Witness to History

By Wil Haygood

The book is about the story of Eugene Allen, who served as a butler in the White House for 34 years, from 1952 until 1986.

The events that caused Wil Haygood to write this book started with the election of Barack Obama.

At that time, Wil Haygood wrote an article entitled “A Butler Well Served by This Election”, which was published in the Washington Post.

Part of this book is about the background information that Wil Haygood dug up about Eugene Allen.

(I do not know how much of this was in that newspaper article.)

He got to tour the basement of the home of the butler, which was full of mementos from all those Presidents.

Eugene Allen and his wife, Helene, had planned to vote for Barack Obama in November of 2008.

Helene died the day before the election.

On the 20th of January, 2009, Eugene Allen witnessed the inauguration of Barack Obama.

On the 31st of March, 2010, Eugene Allen took his last breath, at the age of 90.

Lee Daniels, a director who had been an Oscar nominee, decided to work on making a movie about the life of Eugene Allen.

He made a movie that was fictionalized but based on the true story.

This book has a big section about movies made about Black Americans.

I am not willing to get into all of it.

You can buy this book and read all about it.

The last part of the book is about five of the Presidents served by this butler, who had some involvement with the race issue.

I am not ready to write about each one, but I will simply give you the list:

Ike

JFK

LBJ

Nixon

Reagan

I know, that is not all the Presidents he served, but those are the ones listed at the end of the book.

So, the events covered in this book:

The butler, Eugene Allen, served in the White house for all those years, for all those Presidents.

Wil Haygood wrote a newspaper article about him.

Lee Daniels made a movie about him.

Wil Haygood wrote this short book.

Well, a short book, and a short book report.

Hugs!

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