Jun 30

Jun 30 Movies & Shows To Educate Yourself On Black History in America

First of all, all of these suggestions (and more!!) are available via a super easy Google search. I’m including a few of the ones I’ve watched here, but I definitely absolutely think this should be just the START of your journey to self-educate. I’m just putting it here for people who visit my site & probably don’t want to take those extra steps— like bro, this is an open notes test on your humanity— please don’t fail it.

The featured movies on this list are about Black History in America from the Civil Rights Movements onward, which I curated on purpose to point out the fact that despite America having abolished slavery in 1865, almost 155 years later, the Black community in America has been experiencing prejudices and violence on extreme levels. Some of these movies may make you feel uncomfortable, and that’s the point. These films and shows were not created with the intention of distorting history to just be palpable to a non-black audience— they were made to shed light on the lived experiences that Black people in America have had to live through every damn day. Our outlook on the world grows from our own discomfort— and the important takeaway here is that if you feel uncomfortable watching any of these movies and shows— ask yourself, why do you feel this way? Do you realize how systemic racism and anti-blackness has affected your life and your privilege? Does watching someone be treated as sub-human make you sick to your stomach? Because it should. Slavery and Anti-Blackness is a stain on human history and culture, and we are morally responsible for creating a more ethical world than the one we were born into.

I guess, in short— I just hope that some of these movies and shows, and books help open your eyes to the history of racism and prejudice in America, and that watching them helps you realize that you have the agency to make this world a less awful place.