Within the past two years, the #BlackLivesMatter movement has picked up speed and has sparked some of America’s most historical protests. But history, African American history, spans centuries, not just a few years. And with the development of laws that threaten to silence and erase our heritage, such as the critical race theory bill in Florida, the education of Black history is more important than ever.
To celebrate Black History Month and beyond, we listed some of the best Black documentaries inspired by real-life experiences that have shaped our nation. And continue to shape our nation.
1. 13th (2016)
The 13th amendment to the US Constitution makes it unconstitutional for someone to be held as a slave. This documentary explores the disproportionate number of Black men and women in America’s prisons and argues why the prison system is an extension of this once monumental amendment.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=krfcq5pF8u8]
2. Becoming (2020)
If you never got the chance to read Michelle Obama’s novel, Becoming, it’s OK: you can now stream the Becoming documentary on Netflix. In the documentary, the former First Lady tells of all her struggles, hopes, and dreams that she candidly exposed in her best-selling novel of the same name.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wePNJGL7nDU]
3. LA 92 (2017)
If you remember the murder of Rodney King in 1992 by four police officers, then you know that the protests that took place then look similar to the recent ones in response to the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and more. LA 92 documents the several days of civil unrest in Los Angeles following the verdict in the Rodney King trial.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DcFuY_lPwh8]
4. See You Next Time (2019)
See You Next Time documents a Black woman’s visit to a Chinese-owned nail salon in a predominately Black community. The documentary shows how Black-Americans and Asian-Americans’ relationships are more than transactional: they are mutually supportive and full of trust.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T9mahJUoUWY]
5. Dark Girls and Dark Girls 2 (2011 and 2020)
Both within and outside of the Black community, colorism remains a persistent issue. Dark-skinned Black women are most often the victims. Dark Girls and Dark Girls 2 explore the bias these women face in the Black-American community and beyond, and how people label dark skin as anything but what it is: beautiful.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WKiUcVVKnZM]
6. When They See Us (2019)
When They See Us is not a documentary, per se. Still, it accurately depicts what happened to the Central Park Five before, during, and after being convicted of murdering a jogger in New York City in 1989.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YyoSErErnCE]
7. The Black Panthers: Vanguard of the Revolution (2015)
When you think about the Civil Rights Movement, most likely Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks, and Malcolm X come to mind. But what about the Black Panthers? This documentary examines the organization’s influence on the movement through interviews with surviving members and archival footage.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F56O3kZ9qr0]
8. Olympic Pride, American Prejudice (2016)
Jesse Owens made history at the 1936 Olympic Games when he won four gold medals and set three new world records. Olympic Pride, American Prejudice, tells the stories of the 17 other Black-Americans who defied Jim Crow segregation and Nazi racism at the Olympics that year.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GmE2fFKGfGY]
9. 4 Little Girls (1997)
In 1963, the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama, was bombed by a White supremacist group. Spike Lee’s 1997 documentary, 4 Little Girls, intimately recounts the lives of Addie May Collins, Carol Denise McNair, Cynthia Wesley, and Carole Rosamond Robertson, before their lives were cut short on that tragic day.
10. King In The Wilderness (2018)
We remember Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. as a freedom fighter, an activist, and a voice for the Black community in one of its most turbulent times. This documentary shows a side of Dr. King that many do not know – a conflicted leader forced to face criticism and harsh realities.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aVGRg89DbyM]
