Black History Month is about celebrating, educating, and championing Black culture. Black filmmakers have played a crucial part in this landscape. Through film, these moviemakers have done their part, allowing us to view events and stories through their lens–and perspective. BLACK ENTERPRISE selected nine movies by Black directors that push boundaries on storytelling and display artistic innovation that might inspire a new generation to do the same.
Selma
Selma, directed by Ava DuVernay, was released in January 2015. It portrayed the historical experience of Dr Martin Luther King Jr. and other civil rights leaders and activists as they planned and organized the historic march from Selma to Alabama’s state capital, Montgomery, in 1965. Selma highlights the importance of the marches in standing up and securing voting rights for African Americans, as well as honoring what the civil rights leaders had to endure during their fight for equality and justice.
Fruitvale Station
Ryan Coolger wrote and directed Fruitvale Station, released in July 2013. Fruitvale Station, a stop on a Bay Area train route, takes place in Oakland, California. The film tells the story of 22-year-old Oscar Grant, a Black man killed by an Oakland police
man. Fruitvale Station humanizes Oscar by showing what a day in his life consisted of right up to the moment he is slain while bringing light to racism, police brutality, and systemic injustice.Judas And The Black Messiah
Judas And The Black Messiah was directed by Shaka King and debuted in February 2021. The movie shares the story of activist Fred Hampton and William O’Neal betraying him. The setting is Chicago during the late 1960s. Judas And The Black Messiah shows the power of this young Black activist and the measures the government took to suppress and oppress the Black Panther Party.
Do The Right Thing
Do the Right Thing was directed and written by Brooklyn, New York native Spike Lee. The Award-winning director filmed this classic in his hometown neighborhood, Bed-Stuy. The movie chronicles the events of an extremely hot summer day. Do the Right Thing is a tale of racial tensions between Black and white communities. Watching Do The Right Thing
will give viewers a 1980s look at gentrification, police brutality, and racial injustices.Boyz N The Hood
Boyz N The Hood was written and directed by John Singleton and debuted in July 1991. Boyz N the Hood goes down in South Central, Los Angeles. The title Boyz N the Hood depicts the challenges young Black men faced in L.A.: gang violence, teen fatherhood, and police profiling. Singleton did an excellent job of showing the brash realities
of these West Coast urban communities and unveiling the significance of education, family, and mentors.Get Out
In February 2017, Jordan Peele gave moviegoers Get Out. This sinister, suspenseful narrative, written and directed by Peele, is about a Black photographer visiting his white girlfriend’s family. Get Out is a significant movie to watch because it sheds light on cultural appropriation, the fetishizing of Black people, and the most insidious form of white privilege.
King Richard
King Richard was directed by Reinaldo Green and debuted in November 2021. It’s a heartfelt film about tennis icons Serena And Venus Williams’ father, Richard. It covers the nurturing upbringing of his daughters
while he coaches them into two of the greatest tennis superstars of all time. This story takes place in Compton, California. King Richard highlights Black resilience, perseverance, and confidence, making it a perfect watch for Black History Month.Malcolm X
Spike Lee, a repeat offender in creating great art through Black films, justifies a second entry. Lee dropped Malcolm X in the Fall of 1992. The movie chronicles his life from a problematic youth to his becoming a leader in the Nation of Islam and the Civil Rights Movement—and on to his unfortunate demise. The film covers Malcom from the 1920s through 1965. Movie watchers learn about Malcolm X’s time in Michigan, Harlem, New York, and Mecca. Malcolm X is a great purposeful watch for Black History Month.
Dear White People
Dear White People, directed and written by Justin Simien, debuted in October 2014. It is a tale about four Black students at a predominantly white university and how they chose to navigate racial identity and systemic racism on a college campus. This film points out the tokenism, racism, and microaggressions that Black students experience at majority-white Institutions.
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