In 1960s Jackson, Mississippi, amidst the throes of the civil rights movement, African American maids Aibileen Clark and Minny Jackson serve white families, facing daily inequalities and racism. Aibileen has quietly endured the loss of her son and has devoted her life to raising white children, imparting them with love and moral values, despite the pain it brings her. Minny, known for her unrivaled cooking skills, struggles with an abusive marriage and a reputation for being outspoken, which leads her to work for the town's social outcasts. Their lives are a testament to the entrenched prejudices of the era.

Eugenia "Skeeter" Phelan, a young, white aspiring writer raised by her family's black maid, returns from college with dreams of becoming a journalist. Disturbed by the racist standards of her socialite friends and longing to pen something meaningful, Skeeter embarks on a risky project: to write a book from the maids' perspective, detailing the hardships they face while serving the white families of Jackson. Enlisting the help of Aibileen and Minny, she works to compile their stories in secret. Their growing bond and shared courage generate a powerful narrative that challenges the status quo, putting them all at risk in their community.