Clemency by Chinonye ChukwuBernadine is a stoic prison warden, but two back-to-back executions put a strain on her marriage, career and convictions.
Publication Date: 2020
Fences by Denzel WashingtonIn 1950s Pittsburgh, a Black garbage collector named Troy Maxson--bitter that baseball's color barrier was only broken after his own heyday in the Negro Leagues--is prone to taking out his frustrations on his loved ones.
Publication Date: 2016
The Hate U Give by George Tillman, Jr.Starr Carter navigates the perilous waters between her poor, black neighborhood and her prestigious, mainly white private school. This all changes when she finds herself in the middle of racial activism after her best friend is shot by police officers, and she's forced to make a decision. Allow the media to skewer her friend to protect the status quo, or stand up and tell the truth in memory of Khalil?
Publication Date: 2018
John Q. by Nick CassavetesJohn Q. is a factory worker facing financial hardship as a result of reduced hours in his workplace. He and his wife soon discover that their child is in need of an emergency heart transplant. Although they have an HMO, they are informed that their policy doesn't cover such an expensive procedure. Unable to raise the money for the surgury himself and with no recourse but to take his son home to die, John snaps and holds the staff and patients of the hospital's emergency room hostage at gunpoint
Publication Date: 2002
Chi-Raq by Spike LeeChi-Raq is a modern day adaptation of the ancient Greek play 'Lysistrata' by Aristophanes. After the murder of a child by a stray bullet, a group of women led by Lysistrata organize against the on-going violence in Chicago's Southside creating a movement that challenges the nature of race, sex and violence in America and around the world.
Publication Date: 2015
Based on a True Story
Harriet by Kasi LemmonsBased on the thrilling and inspirational life of an iconic American freedom fighter, the movie tells the extraordinary tale of Harriet Tubman's escape from slavery and transformation into one of America's greatest heroes. Her courage, ingenuity, and tenacity freed hundreds of slaves and changed the course of history
Publication Date: 2019
Just Mercy by Destin Daniel CrettonA powerful and thought-provoking true story follows young lawyer Bryan Stevenson and his history-making battle for justice. After graduating from Harvard, Bryan had his pick of lucrative jobs. Instead, he heads to Alabama to defend those wrongly condemned or who were not afforded proper representation, with the support of local advocate Eva Ansley. One of his first and most incendiary cases is that of Walter McMillian.
Publication Date: 2019
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Sacks by George C. WolfeAn African-American woman becomes an unwitting pioneer for medical breakthroughs when her cells are used to create the first immortal human cell line in the early 1950s.
Publication Date: 2017
Hidden Figures by Theodore Melfis the United States raced against Russia to put a man in space, NASA found untapped talent in a group of African-American female mathematicians that served as the brains behind one of the greatest operations in U.S. history. Dorothy Vaughan, Mary Jackson, and Katherine Johnson crossed all gender, race, and professional lines while their brilliance and desire to dream big, beyond anything ever accomplished before by the human race, firmly cemented them in U.S. history as true American heroes.
Prince performs as Phillis Wheatley, telling the story of Wheatley's life in the words of her original writings and letters.
Race by Stephen HopkinsJesse Owens' quest to become the greatest track and field athlete in history launches him onto the world stage of the 1936 Olympics, where he faces off against Adolf Hitler's vision of Aryan supremacy
Publication Date: 2016
12 Years a Slave by Steve McQueenBased on the true story of Solomon Northup. It is 1841, and Northup, an accomplished, free citizen of New York, is kidnapped and sold into slavery. Stripped of his identity and deprived of all dignity, Northup is ultimately purchased by ruthless plantation owner Edwin Epps and must find the strength within to survive. Filled with powerful performances by an astonishing cast including Chiwetel Ejiofor, Michael Fassbener, Benedict Cumberbatch, Brad Pitt, and newcomer Lupita Nyong'o, 12 Years a Slave is both an unflinching account of slavery in American history and a celebration of the indomitable power of hope
Publication Date: 2013
Documentary
I Am Not Your Negro by Raoul PeckMaster documentary filmmaker Raoul Peck envisions the book James Baldwin never finished. The result is a radical, up-to-the-minute examination of race in America, using Baldwin's original words and a flood of rich archival material. A journey into black history that connects the past of the Civil Rights movement to the present of #BlackLivesMatter.
Publication Date: 2017
Something From Nothing: The Art of Rap by Ice-T, Andy BaybuttThe craft. The history. The power. All these elements of the hip-hop movement are discussed with director Ice-T and the legends he interviews: Afrika Bambaataa; Eminem; Nas; Mos Def; Kanye West; Chuck D; KRS-One; Snoop Dogg; Run-DMC; and Ice Cube, in this compelling and gritty feature-length documentary.
Publication Date: 2012
Aftershock. Beyond the Civil War by David W. PadruschIn 1866, the year immediately following the end of the war, America was supposed to be reuniting, healing its wounds, and moving past years of civil unrest. However, a closer look into this historic time reveals a sinister snapshot of a discordant nation caught in the midst of deadly race riots and angry insurgencies. Examines the disturbing reality behind the murder, terrorism, and chaos that marked the uncertain period of Reconstruction in America.
Publication Date: 2007
Toni Morrison. The Pieces I Am by Timothy Greenfield-SandersAn artful and intimate meditation on the life and works of the acclaimed novelist. From her childhood in the steel town of Lorain, Ohio to '70s-era book tours with Muhammad Ali, from the front lines with Angela Davis to her own riverfront writing room, Toni Morrison leads an assembly of her peers, critics, and colleagues on an exploration of race, America, history and the human condition as seen through the prism of her own literature.
Publication Date: 2019
The Central Park Five by Ken Burns, David McMahon, Sarah BurnsChronicles America's complicated perceptions of race and crime through the story of the "Central Park 5" -- a group of minority teenagers wrongfully convicted and jailed for brutally raping a white woman in New York.
Publication Date: 2012
Whitney by Kevin MacdonaldWhitney Houston is a musical icon, known for such hit songs as "How Will I Know," "I Will Always Love You" and "I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)." Her debut album, "Whitney Houston," set industry records as the best-selling debut album for a female singer. The documentary follows her life and career, culminating in her untimely death at the age of 48. Her friends and family describe their relationship with the singer and her private struggles.
Publication Date: 2018
I Am Bolt by Benjamin Turner, Gabe TurnerDocumentary on the fastest man alive, Usain Bolt. With archive footage of his youth in Jamaica. Will reveal the man and define the legacy of this incredible athlete.
Publication Date: 2016
Underground Railroad: The William Still Story by Laine DreweryTells the compelling story of William Still, one of the most unheralded individuals of the Underground Railroad, and details the accounts of black abolitionists who had everything at stake as they helped fugitives follow the North Star to Canada
"In the fight against racism, it’s not enough to just disavow hate; you have to be actively anti-racist, calling out acts of overt and casual racism as you see them—even when it’s uncomfortable. Part of that commitment to identify and actively work against prejudice as it happens begins with educating yourself on the ways in which our country has discriminated against people of color, especially Black Americans. One helpful tool to do so is film, a rich medium that offers insight into our society and culture, and serves as a vital reminder of how far we’ve come—and how much further we have to go before everyone is truly equal."
"While reading books and listening to TED Talks are great, and necessary, ways to educate yourself, queuing up Netflix is another way you can learn. And with so many anti-racist movies and TV series that show Black stories front and center available on streaming platforms, there’s no excuse not to start right now. We even made you a list, below. While it’s not comprehensive, it is a place to begin."
"In light of the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and other Black Americans at the hands of police and the ensuing protests and calls for racial justice, there has been a push for anti-racism education via film."