Spotlighting Black History Makers in Movies & Television on Prime Video
by IMDb-Editors | created - 15 Feb 2021 | updated - 17 Feb 2021 | PublicWe highlight the movies, documentaries and, TV-shows, based on historical events and figures, that celebrate the achievements and cultural impact of the Black community. These titles are available to rent and stream on Prime Video or via a Prime Video subscription, in the US.
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1. Free Meek (2019)
TV-MA | 195 min | Documentary, Biography
Chronicling the life of Philadelphia based rap artist, Meek Mill, from his rise in music to his incarceration and eventual release from prison.
Stars: Jay-Z, Meek Mill, Van Jones, Paul Solotaroff
Votes: 531
Available to Stream Now
2. Something from Nothing: The Art of Rap (2012)
R | 106 min | Documentary, Music
A documentary on rap music and its rise to global prominence.
Directors: Ice-T, Andy Baybutt | Stars: Ice-T, Dr. Dre, Chuck D, Snoop Dogg
Votes: 3,620 | Gross: $0.29M
Available to Stream Now
3. Manchild: The Schea Cotton Story (2016)
Not Rated | 78 min | Documentary
Manchild is a documentary film that chronicles the circuitous life of legendary Los Angeles hoops megastar Schea Cotton. The documentary is expressed through Schea's intimate accounts and those that knew him best on and off the court.
Director: Eric 'Ptah' Herbert | Stars: LMFT Alesia A. Wesley, Andrew Amigo, BadLucc, Toby Bailey
Votes: 96
Available to Stream Now
4. More Than a Game (2008)
PG | 105 min | Documentary, Biography, Sport
This documentary follows NBA superstar LeBron James and four of his talented teammates through the trials and tribulations of high school basketball in Ohio and James' journey to fame.
Director: Kristopher Belman | Stars: LeBron James, Dru Joyce, Romeo Travis, Sian Cotton
Votes: 5,662 | Gross: $0.94M
Available to Stream Now
5. Thunder Soul (2010)
PG | 83 min | Documentary, Music
Alumni from Houston's storied Kashmere High School Stage Band return home after 35 years to play a tribute concert for their beloved band leader who turned the struggling jazz band into a world-class funk powerhouse in the early 1970s.
Director: Mark Landsman | Stars: Craig Baldwin, Craig Green, Conrad O. Johnson Sr., Bruce Middleton
Votes: 534 | Gross: $0.14M
Available to Stream Now
6. O'Jays: Live in Concert (2010 Video)
Not Rated | 67 min | Documentary
The legends of RB perform at the Bergen Performing Arts Center, celebrating their 50th year in music. All the hits are included in this high-definition filming, including Backstabbers, For ... See full summary »
Director: Michael Vincent | Star: The O'Jays
Available to Stream Now
7. Nas: Time Is Illmatic (2014)
TV-14 | 74 min | Documentary, Biography, History
The story behind Nas's groundbreaking debut album 'Illmatic, ' and the early life of one of the most talented rappers of all time. Featuring Pharrell Williams, Alicia Keys, Q-Tip, and Busta Rhymes.
Director: One9 | Stars: Nas, Cornel West, Pharrell Williams, Swizz Beatz
Votes: 3,335 | Gross: $0.11M
Available to Stream Now
8.
Great Performances (1971– )
Episode:
Nas Live From the Kennedy Center: Classical Hip-Hop
(2018)
TV-G | Music, Musical
Two decades after the album's critically acclaimed release, hip-hop artist Nas teamed up with the National Symphony Orchestra at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., to stage a symphonic... See full summary »
Director: Jason Goldwatch | Stars: Nas, The National Symphony Orchestra, Steven Reineke
Votes: 60
Available to Stream Now
9. Jean-Michel Basquiat: The Radiant Child (2010)
Not Rated | 88 min | Documentary
Director Tamra Davis pays homage to her friend in this definitive documentary but also delves into Basquiat as an iconoclast. His dense, bebop-influenced neoexpressionist work emerged while... See full summary »
Director: Tamra Davis | Stars: Jean Michel Basquiat, Julian Schnabel, Larry Gagosian, Bruno Bischofberger
Votes: 2,485 | Gross: $0.26M
Available to Stream Now
10. I Am Not Your Negro (2016)
PG-13 | 93 min | Documentary, History
Writer James Baldwin tells the story of race in modern America with his unfinished novel, Remember This House.
Director: Raoul Peck | Stars: Samuel L. Jackson, James Baldwin, Martin Luther King, Malcolm X
Votes: 23,495 | Gross: $7.12M
Available to Stream Now
11. Mr. Dynamite: The Rise of James Brown (2014)
Not Rated | 120 min | Documentary, Biography, Music
A look at the music career of musician James Brown beginning with his first hit song, "Please, Please, Please," in 1956.
Director: Alex Gibney | Stars: James Brown, Christian McBride, Bobby Byrd, Greg Tate
Votes: 1,496
Available to Stream Now
12. Fresh Dressed (2015)
Not Rated | 90 min | Documentary, History, Music
Fresh Dressed chronicles the history of Hip-Hop <> Urban fashion and its rise from southern cotton plantations to the gangs of 1970s in the South Bronx, to corporate America, and everywhere... See full summary »
Director: Sacha Jenkins | Stars: Damon Dash, Alexander Dominguez, Daymond John, Karl Kani
Votes: 989
Available to Stream Now
13. John L. Waller: Striving for Equality (2010)
Documentary
Director: David M. Talley | Stars: Allison Blakely, N.M. Hubbard, Liliane Koziol, Susan O'Donovan
Votes: 11
Available to Stream Now
14. Nat Turner: A Troublesome Property (2003)
PG | 58 min | Documentary
The story and legacy of the enigmatic leader of the notorious 1831 homicidal slave revolt in Virginia, along with reviews of works about him, are explored; twentieth century civil rights discussed and cultural relativism mentioned.
Director: Charles Burnett | Stars: Herbert Aptheker, Ayuko Babu, Charles Burnett, Resharma Coleman
Votes: 182
Available to Stream Now
15. TV in Black: The First Fifty Years (2004 Video)
Not Rated | 100 min | Documentary
The black image on television changed American culture. This two-hour program includes rare footage, memorabilia, photographs and exclusive interviews from the actors/writers/producers whose personal journeys created television history.
Stars: Muhammad Ali, Jonelle Allen, John Amos, Eddie 'Rochester' Anderson
Votes: 106
Available to Stream Now
16. Ernest Cole (2006)
53 min | Documentary
Jurgen Schadeberg brings light on fellow photographer and former exile Ernest Cole in this beautiful film. Cole may have been one of a generation of lost black achievers that history overlooked, but no more.
Director: Jürgen Schadeberg
Votes: 12
Available to Stream Now
17. A Century of Black Cinema (2003 Video)
TV-PG | 120 min | Documentary
This film highlights moments in the long and rich African American cinema history in relation to social and political events, and how it affected black viewers of the time.
Director: Ted Newsom | Stars: Kim Delgado, Muhammad Ali, Angela Bassett, Harry Belafonte
Votes: 56
Available to Stream Now
18. Black History Activators (2020)
75 min | Documentary
This important and timely collection features educational, in-depth introductions to some of the most notable and integral individuals and events that make up Black History.
Star: William Butler
Votes: 26
Available to Stream Now
19. The Jackie Robinson Story (1974 TV Movie)
120 min | Drama
The life story of Baseball legend Jackie Robinson.
Director: Michael Landon | Star: Stephen R. Hudis
Votes: 9
Available to Stream Now
20. The Jackie Robinson Story (1950)
Approved | 77 min | Biography, Drama, Sport
Biography of Jackie Robinson, the first black major league baseball player in the 20th century. Traces his career in the negro leagues and the major leagues. Restored in original Black and White.
Director: Alfred E. Green | Stars: Jackie Robinson, Ruby Dee, Minor Watson, Louise Beavers
Votes: 1,438
Available to Stream Now
21. Iran The Blade Barkley 5th King (2018)
Biography
The 5th King is a compelling first hand account of the rise and fall of one of boxing's legendary fighters from the golden era of boxing. He escaped the major pitfalls of his economic depressed area of South Bronx to become 3-time champ.
Directors: Carl June, Luis Libran | Stars: Iran Barkley, Mark Breland, Aaron Superman Davis, Roberto Durán
Votes: 23
Available to Stream Now
22. Kirk Whalum: The Gospel According to Jazz (IV) (2015)
Not Rated | 146 min | Music
Grammy Award winner, Kirk Whalum, musically explores the convergence of jazz and gospel infused with rhythm and blues, through live-recorded performances and integrated commentary with ... See full summary »
Director: Matthew O. Henderson | Stars: Rick Braun, Norman Brown, Shelea Frazier, Doc Gibbs
Votes: 13
Available to Stream Now
23. Jayhawkers (2014)
106 min | Biography
A group of unlikely allies modernized college sports and changed a small Midwestern town, serving as a parallel to the Civil Rights movement that would transform the entire American society.
Director: Kevin Willmott | Stars: Kip Niven, Justin Wesley, Blake Robbins, Jay Karnes
Votes: 203 | Gross: $0.30M
Available to Stream Now
24. No No: A Dockumentary (2014)
Not Rated | 100 min | Documentary, Biography, Sport
The life and times of major league pitcher Dock Ellis are explored in this revealing documentary.
Director: Jeffrey Radice | Stars: Enos Cabell, Dave Cash, Roberto Clemente Jr., Vera Clemente
Votes: 1,744
Available to Stream Now
25. Skin (I) (2008)
PG-13 | 107 min | Biography, Drama
Based on the true story of a black girl who was born to two white Afrikaner parents in South Africa during the apartheid era.
Director: Anthony Fabian | Stars: Sophie Okonedo, Sam Neill, Alice Krige, Tony Kgoroge
Votes: 3,713
Available to Stream Now
26. Anita: Speaking Truth to Power (II) (2013)
Not Rated | 76 min | Documentary, History
A profile of Anita Hill, the African-American lawyer who challenged Clarence Thomas' nomination to the US Supreme Court and thus exposed the problem of sexual harassment to the world.
Director: Freida Lee Mock | Stars: Jill Abramson, Joe Biden, John Carr, Orrin Hatch
Votes: 587
Available to Stream Now
27. A History of Black Achievement in America (2005)
Not Rated | 216 min | Documentary, History
This original, eight-part series documents Black Achievement in American history, its defining role in the growth of the country and its influence on current events.
Stars: James Avery, Nathan Carter, Quatis Tarkington, Stephanie King
Votes: 14
Available to Stream Now
28. African American Lives (2006–2008)
TV-PG | 54 min | Documentary, History
This 4 part PBS series attempts to trace the roots of 8 guests using genealogy, oral history, family stories, and DNA analysis.
Stars: Henry Louis Gates Jr., Whoopi Goldberg, Chris Tucker, Oprah Winfrey
Votes: 162
Available to Stream Now
29. The African Americans: Many Rivers to Cross with Henry Louis Gates, Jr. (2013)
TV-PG | Documentary
Professor Gates describes the history of the African American people by talking to historians, authors, and the people who made history.
Stars: Henry Louis Gates Jr., Vincent Brown, Bernard E. Powers Jr., Peniel E. Joseph
Votes: 291
Available to Stream Now
30. Mama Africa (2011)
90 min | Documentary, Biography, Music
Documentary about Miriam Makeba.
Director: Mika Kaurismäki | Stars: Miriam Makeba, Bageot Bah, Harry Belafonte, Stokely Carmichael
Votes: 351 | Gross: $0.01M
Available to Stream Now
31. A Woman Called Moses (1978)
240 min | Biography, Drama
A film about the life and career of the African American abolitionist and slave escape leader, Harriet Tubman.
Stars: Cicely Tyson, Jason Bernard, Clifford David, Judyann Elder
Votes: 413
Available to Stream Now
32. Chisholm '72: Unbought & Unbossed (2004)
Not Rated | 76 min | Documentary
A documentary on Brooklyn-based Congresswoman Shirley's Chisholm's 1972 presidential bid.
Director: Shola Lynch | Stars: Shirley Chisholm, Walter Cronkite, George Wallace, Ralph Abernathy
Votes: 325
Available to Stream Now
33. The Legend: The Bessie Coleman Story (2018)
108 min | Documentary
In 1921, aviation pioneer Bessie Coleman arose from the poverty of the Texas cotton fields to capture the hearts of the Black population of America.
Director: Gardner Doolittle | Stars: Aneva Walker, Bessie Coleman
Votes: 41
Available to Stream Now
34. A Most Beautiful Thing (2020)
95 min | Documentary
Narrated by Common, this film chronicles the first African American high school rowing team in this country (made up of young men, many of whom were in rival gangs from the West Side of Chicago, coming together to row in the same boat).
Director: Mary Mazzio | Stars: Common, Arshay Cooper, Ken Alpart, David Banks
Votes: 323
Available to Stream Now
35. Hendrix (2000 TV Movie)
R | 100 min | Biography, Drama, Music
Biography of Jimi Hendrix perhaps the single most groundbreaking guitarist in the history of rock and roll. Examines Hendrix's life and career both on and off the stage.
Director: Leon Ichaso | Stars: Wood Harris, Billy Zane, Dorian Harewood, Christian Potenza
Votes: 1,072
Available to Stream Now
36. What's My Name: Muhammad Ali (2019)
TV-14 | 165 min | Documentary, Biography, Sport
One of the most iconic figures in athletic history, Muhammad Ali's incredible story from world champion boxer to inspiring social activist is explored through his own voice and never-before-seen archival material.
Director: Antoine Fuqua | Stars: Bill Cosby, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Jim Brown, Diana Ross
Votes: 2,435
Available to Rent
37. The Last Dance (2020)
TV-MA | 49 min | Documentary, Biography, History
Led by Michael Jordan, the 1990s Chicago Bulls establish themselves as one of the most notable dynasties in sports history.
Stars: Michael Jordan, Phil Jackson, Scottie Pippen, David Aldridge
Votes: 151,879
Available to Rent
38. The Sheards (2013– )
TV-PG | 60 min | Reality-TV
The Sheards is a reality show which airs on the Black Entertainment Television network, and centered around the Grammy-winning gospel singer Karen Clark Sheard and her family.
Stars: Arrianna Marie, Kierra Sheard-Kelly, Karen Clark Sheard
Votes: 19
Available to Rent
39. The New Edition Story (2017)
TV-14 | 120 min | Biography, Drama, Music
Chronicles the ups and downs of legendary music group New Edition from their humble beginnings in Boston to individual solo success and everything in between.
Stars: Bryshere Y. Gray, Elijah Kelley, Luke James, Woody McClain
Votes: 3,267
Available to Rent
40. The Bobby Brown Story (2018– )
TV-14 | 155 min | Biography, Drama, Music
The life story of R&B musician Bobby Brown.
Stars: Woody McClain, Luke James, Mekhi Phifer, Laz Alonso
Votes: 898
Available to Rent
41. The Shop (I) (2018– )
TV-MA | 30 min | Talk-Show
Discussions and debate in various barbershops around the country featuring some of the biggest names in sport and entertainment.
Stars: Maverick Carter, Paul Rivera, LeBron James, Steve Stoute
Votes: 1,131
Available to Rent
42. Roots (2016)
TV-MA | 388 min | Drama, War
An adaptation of Alex Haley's "Roots." Chronicles the history of an African man and his descendants sold into slavery in America.
Stars: Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Malachi Kirby, Forest Whitaker, Laurence Fishburne
Votes: 8,464
Available to Rent
43. King In The Wilderness (2018)
TV-14 | 111 min | Documentary
A look at the final years in the life of Martin Luther King, Jr.
Director: Peter W. Kunhardt
Votes: 912
Available to Rent
44. Rest in Power: The Trayvon Martin Story (2018– )
TV-14 | 60 min | Documentary
An in-depth look at the origin and aftermath of the 2012 shooting of Trayvon Martin and subsequent trial of George Zimmerman, which sparked a national debate on race relations and revealed a deeply fractured and divided country.
Stars: Sybrina Fulton, Tracy Martin, Stephanie Fulton Sands
Votes: 510
Available to Rent
45. Tiger (2021)
TV-MA | 96 min | Documentary, Biography, Sport
A look at the life, success and scandals of golf legend Tiger Woods.
Stars: Tiger Woods, Pete McDaniel, Steve Williams, Bryant Gumbel
Votes: 4,974
Available to Rent
46. Freedom Riders (2010)
Not Rated | 117 min | Documentary, History
The story of the Civil Rights Movement interstate busing protest campaign.
Director: Stanley Nelson | Stars: Raymond Arsenault, Genevieve Houghton, Gordon Carey, Derek Catsam
Votes: 428
Available to Rent
47. Pride (2007)
PG | 104 min | Drama, Sport
The determined Jim Ellis starts a swim team for troubled teens at the Philadelphia Department of Recreation.
Director: Sunu Gonera | Stars: Terrence Howard, Bernie Mac, Kimberly Elise, Tom Arnold
Votes: 6,897 | Gross: $7.04M
Available to Rent
48. Michael Jackson's Journey from Motown to Off the Wall (2016)
Not Rated | 93 min | Documentary, Music
A look at the life of the late pop star Michael Jackson from his early days at Motown Records to the release of his hit 1979 album, Off the Wall.
Director: Spike Lee | Stars: Michael Jackson, Jackson 5, Berry Gordy, Suzanne De Passe
Votes: 2,424
Available to Rent
49. Marley (2012)
PG-13 | 144 min | Documentary, Biography, Music
A documentary on the life, music, and legacy of Bob Marley.
Director: Kevin Macdonald | Stars: Bob Marley, Ziggy Marley, Rita Marley, Jimmy Cliff
Votes: 14,486 | Gross: $1.41M
Available to Rent
50. Buffalo Soldiers (2001)
R | 98 min | Comedy, Crime, Drama
A criminal subculture operates among U.S. soldiers stationed in West Germany just before the fall of the Berlin wall.
Director: Gregor Jordan | Stars: Joaquin Phoenix, Anna Paquin, Ed Harris, Scott Glenn
Votes: 25,554 | Gross: $0.35M
Available to Rent
51. Brian Banks (2018)
PG-13 | 99 min | Biography, Drama, Sport
A football player's dreams to play in the NFL are halted when he is wrongly convicted and sent to prison. Years later, he fights to clear his name within an unjust system.
Director: Tom Shadyac | Stars: Aldis Hodge, Greg Kinnear, Sherri Shepherd, Melanie Liburd
Votes: 9,170 | Gross: $4.32M
Available to Rent
52. The Sapphires (2012)
PG-13 | 103 min | Biography, Comedy, Drama
In 1968, four talented young Australian Aboriginal girls learn about love, friendship, and war when their all-girl group The Sapphires entertains the US troops in Vietnam.
Director: Wayne Blair | Stars: Chris O'Dowd, Deborah Mailman, Jessica Mauboy, Shari Sebbens
Votes: 15,167 | Gross: $2.45M
Available to Rent
53. Bad 25 (2012)
Not Rated | 131 min | Documentary, Music
A documentary on Michael Jackson and the legacy of his record "Bad".
Director: Spike Lee | Stars: Michael Jackson, Glen Ballard, John Barnes, Jennifer Batten
Votes: 2,414
Available to Rent
54. Count Basie: Through His Own Eyes (2018)
75 min | Documentary, Biography, History
Told in Count Basie's own words, this biography sheds light on the private and family life of the world-famous bandleader and pianist.
Director: Jeremy Marre | Stars: Count Basie, Diane Basie, Gary Giddins, John C. Williams
Votes: 83
Available to Rent
55. Iverson (2014)
Not Rated | 106 min | Documentary, Biography, Sport
Iverson is the ultimate legacy of NBA legend Allen Iverson, who rose from a childhood of crushing poverty in Hampton, Virginia, to become an 11-time NBA All-Star and universally recognized ... See full summary »
Director: Zatella Beatty | Stars: Allen Iverson, Tom Brokaw, Larry Brown, Dwyane Wade
Votes: 4,094
Available to Rent
56. John Lewis: Good Trouble (2020)
PG | 96 min | Documentary
The film explores Georgia representative's, 60-plus years of social activism and legislative action on civil rights, voting rights, gun control, health care reform, and immigration.
Director: Dawn Porter | Stars: Elijah Cummings, Anthony Johnson, Hillary Clinton, Ayanna Pressley
Votes: 1,053
Available to Rent
57. Richard Pryor: Omit the Logic (2013)
R | 83 min | Documentary, Biography
The life and times of Richard Pryor.
Director: Marina Zenovich | Stars: David Banks, Rona Barrett, David Brinkley, Skip Brittenham
Votes: 1,724
Available to Rent
58. Tyson (2008)
R | 90 min | Documentary, Biography, Sport
A mixture of original interviews, archival footage, and photographs sheds light on the life experiences of Mike Tyson.
Director: James Toback | Stars: Mike Tyson, Mills Lane, Trevor Berbick, Cus D'Amato
Votes: 12,929 | Gross: $0.89M
Available to Rent
59. Kobe Bryant's Muse (2015 TV Movie)
TV-MA | 105 min | Documentary, Biography, Sport
Documentary that goes behind the stats to reveal Kobe Bryant's career, exploring the mentorships, allies and rivalries that have helped shape his stellar 18-year tenure in the NBA, and uncovering his greatest personal challenge yet.
Director: Gotham Chopra | Stars: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, John S. Battle, Larry Bird, Joe Bryant
Votes: 1,922
Available to Rent
60. Magic & Bird: A Courtship of Rivals (2010 TV Movie)
TV-PG | 85 min | Documentary, Biography, Sport
An exploration of the fierce rivalry between NBA superstars Larry Bird and Magic Johnson during their decade of dominance.
Director: Ezra Edelman | Stars: Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Steve Springer, Evelyn Johnson
Votes: 2,273
Available to Rent
61. Luther Vandross: Always and Forever (1994 TV Special)
G | 88 min | Documentary, Music
Recorded on his 1994-1995 world tour, Always And Forever: An Evening Of Songs At Royal Albert Hall features the legendary Luther Vandross at his most smooth and sensuous, featuring his ... See full summary »
Director: Jeb Brien | Stars: Luther Vandross, Lisa Fischer, Ava Cherry, Kevin Owens
Votes: 21
Available to Rent
62. BlacKkKlansman (2018)
R | 135 min | Biography, Comedy, Crime
Ron Stallworth, an African American police officer from Colorado Springs, Colorado, successfully infiltrates the local Ku Klux Klan branch aided by a Jewish surrogate who eventually becomes its leader. Based on actual events.
Director: Spike Lee | Stars: John David Washington, Adam Driver, Laura Harrier, Topher Grace
Votes: 290,979 | Gross: $49.28M
Available to Rent
63. Marshall (2017)
PG-13 | 118 min | Biography, Crime, Drama
The story of Thurgood Marshall, the crusading lawyer who would become the first African-American Supreme Court Justice, as he battles through one of his career-defining cases.
Director: Reginald Hudlin | Stars: Chadwick Boseman, Josh Gad, Kate Hudson, Sterling K. Brown
Votes: 26,798 | Gross: $10.05M
Available to Rent
64. Life of a King (2013)
PG-13 | 100 min | Drama
Ex-felon, Eugene Brown, establishes a Chess Club for inner city teenagers in Washington, D.C.
Director: Jake Goldberger | Stars: Cuba Gooding Jr., Dennis Haysbert, George Dick, Thurston Hill III
Votes: 7,617 | Gross: $0.01M
Available to Rent
65. Freedom (II) (2014)
R | 94 min | Drama, Music
Two men separated by 100 years are united in their search for freedom. In 1856, slave Samuel Woodward and his family escape from the Monroe Plantation near Richmond, Virginia. A secret ... See full summary »
Director: Peter Cousens | Stars: Cuba Gooding Jr., Sharon Leal, David Rasche, Kimberly Nichole
Votes: 2,209
Available to Rent
66. Ali (2001)
R | 157 min | Biography, Drama, Sport
A biography of sports legend Muhammad Ali, focusing on his triumphs and controversies between 1964 and 1974.
Director: Michael Mann | Stars: Will Smith, Jamie Foxx, Jon Voight, Mario Van Peebles
Votes: 105,531 | Gross: $58.20M
Available to Rent
67. Hotel Rwanda (2004)
PG-13 | 121 min | Biography, Drama, History
Paul Rusesabagina, a hotel manager, houses over a thousand Tutsi refugees during their struggle against the Hutu militia in Rwanda, Africa.
Director: Terry George | Stars: Don Cheadle, Sophie Okonedo, Joaquin Phoenix, Xolani Mali
Votes: 372,144 | Gross: $23.53M
Available to Rent
68. Loving (2016)
PG-13 | 123 min | Biography, Drama, Romance
The story of Richard and Mildred Loving, a couple whose arrest for interracial marriage in 1960s Virginia began a legal battle that would end with the Supreme Court's historic 1967 decision.
Director: Jeff Nichols | Stars: Ruth Negga, Joel Edgerton, Will Dalton, Dean Mumford
Votes: 36,365 | Gross: $7.70M
Available to Rent
69. Detroit (2017)
R | 143 min | Crime, Drama, History
Fact-based drama set during the 1967 Detroit riots in which a group of rogue police officers respond to a complaint with retribution rather than justice on their minds.
Director: Kathryn Bigelow | Stars: John Boyega, Anthony Mackie, Algee Smith, Jacob Latimore
Votes: 55,929 | Gross: $16.79M
Available to Rent
70. Malcolm X (1992)
PG-13 | 202 min | Biography, Drama, History
Biographical epic of the controversial and influential Black Nationalist leader, from his early life and career as a small-time gangster, to his ministry as a member of the Nation of Islam and his eventual assassination.
Director: Spike Lee | Stars: Denzel Washington, Angela Bassett, Delroy Lindo, Spike Lee
Votes: 101,987 | Gross: $48.17M
Available to Rent
71. Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom (2013)
PG-13 | 141 min | Biography, Drama, History
A chronicle of Nelson Mandela's life journey from his childhood in a rural village through to his inauguration as the first democratically elected president of South Africa.
Director: Justin Chadwick | Stars: Idris Elba, Naomie Harris, Terry Pheto, Robert Hobbs
Votes: 29,188 | Gross: $8.32M
Available to Rent
72. Ray (I) (2004)
PG-13 | 152 min | Biography, Drama, Music
The story of the life and career of the legendary rhythm and blues musician Ray Charles, from his humble beginnings in the South, where he went blind at age seven, to his meteoric rise to stardom during the 1950s and 1960s.
Director: Taylor Hackford | Stars: Jamie Foxx, Regina King, Kerry Washington, Clifton Powell
Votes: 157,358 | Gross: $75.33M
Available to Rent
73. The Butler (I) (2013)
PG-13 | 132 min | Biography, Drama
As Cecil Gaines serves eight presidents during his tenure as a butler at the White House, the civil rights movement, Vietnam, and other major events affect this man's life, family, and American society.
Director: Lee Daniels | Stars: Forest Whitaker, Oprah Winfrey, John Cusack, Jane Fonda
Votes: 119,720 | Gross: $116.63M
Available to Rent
74. 12 Years a Slave (2013)
R | 134 min | Biography, Drama, History
In the antebellum United States, Solomon Northup, a free Black man from upstate New York, is abducted and sold into slavery.
Director: Steve McQueen | Stars: Chiwetel Ejiofor, Michael Kenneth Williams, Michael Fassbender, Brad Pitt
Votes: 741,016 | Gross: $56.67M
Available to Rent
75. Fruitvale Station (2013)
R | 85 min | Biography, Crime, Drama
The story of Oscar Grant III, a 22-year-old Bay Area resident, who crosses paths with friends, enemies, family, and strangers on the last day of 2008.
Director: Ryan Coogler | Stars: Michael B. Jordan, Melonie Diaz, Octavia Spencer, Kevin Durand
Votes: 85,856 | Gross: $16.10M
Available to Rent
76. Get on Up (2014)
PG-13 | 139 min | Biography, Drama, Music
A chronicle of James Brown's rise from extreme poverty to become one of the most influential musicians in history.
Director: Tate Taylor | Stars: Chadwick Boseman, Nelsan Ellis, Dan Aykroyd, Viola Davis
Votes: 26,135 | Gross: $30.51M
Available to Rent
77. The Pursuit of Happyness (2006)
PG-13 | 117 min | Biography, Drama
A struggling salesman takes custody of his son as he's poised to begin a life-changing professional career
Director: Gabriele Muccino | Stars: Will Smith, Thandiwe Newton, Jaden Smith, Brian Howe
Votes: 560,414 | Gross: $163.57M
Available to Rent
78. Talk to Me (2007)
R | 118 min | Biography, Drama, History
The story of Washington D.C. radio personality Ralph "Petey" Greene, an ex-con who became a popular talk show host and community activist in the 1960s.
Director: Kasi Lemmons | Stars: Don Cheadle, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Bruce McFee, Mike Epps
Votes: 10,271 | Gross: $4.47M
Available to Rent
79. The Great Debaters (2007)
PG-13 | 126 min | Biography, Drama, Romance
A drama based on the true story of Melvin B. Tolson, a professor at Wiley College Texas. In 1935, he inspired students to form the school's first debate team, which went on to challenge Harvard in the national championship.
Director: Denzel Washington | Stars: Denzel Washington, Forest Whitaker, Kimberly Elise, Nate Parker
Votes: 62,839 | Gross: $30.23M
Available to Rent
80. Invictus (2009)
PG-13 | 134 min | Biography, Drama, History
Nelson Mandela, in his first term as President of South Africa, initiates a unique venture to unite the Apartheid-torn land: enlist the national rugby team on a mission to win the 1995 Rugby World Cup.
Director: Clint Eastwood | Stars: Morgan Freeman, Matt Damon, Tony Kgoroge, Patrick Mofokeng
Votes: 167,824 | Gross: $37.49M
Available to Rent
81. A United Kingdom (2016)
PG-13 | 111 min | Biography, Drama, History
The story of King Seretse Khama of Botswana and how his loving but controversial marriage to a British white woman, Ruth Williams, put his kingdom into political and diplomatic turmoil.
Director: Amma Asante | Stars: David Oyelowo, Rosamund Pike, Tom Felton, Jack Davenport
Votes: 16,982 | Gross: $3.90M
Available to Rent
82. Radio (2003)
PG | 109 min | Biography, Drama, Sport
The story of a high school coach and the developmentally challenged man who he took under his wing.
Director: Michael Tollin | Stars: Cuba Gooding Jr., Ed Harris, Debra Winger, S. Epatha Merkerson
Votes: 43,978 | Gross: $52.33M
Available to Rent
83. The Tuskegee Airmen (1995 TV Movie)
PG-13 | 106 min | Drama, History, War
The true story of how a group of African-American pilots overcame racist opposition to become one of the finest United States fighter groups in World War II.
Director: Robert Markowitz | Stars: Laurence Fishburne, Allen Payne, Malcolm-Jamal Warner, Courtney B. Vance
Votes: 7,079
Available to Rent
84. Concussion (2015)
PG-13 | 123 min | Biography, Drama, Sport
In Pittsburgh, accomplished pathologist Dr. Bennet Omalu uncovers the truth about brain damage in football players who suffer repeated concussions in the course of normal play.
Director: Peter Landesman | Stars: Will Smith, Alec Baldwin, Albert Brooks, David Morse
Votes: 100,566 | Gross: $34.54M
Available to Rent
85. Boycott (2001 TV Movie)
PG | 118 min | Drama, History
Black Americans boycott the public buses during the 1950s civil rights movement.
Director: Clark Johnson | Stars: Jeffrey Wright, Terrence Howard, CCH Pounder, Carmen Ejogo
Votes: 1,080
Available to Rent
86. The Express (2008)
PG | 130 min | Biography, Drama, Sport
A drama based on the life of college football hero Ernie Davis, the first African-American to win the Heisman Trophy.
Director: Gary Fleder | Stars: Rob Brown, Dennis Quaid, Clancy Brown, Darrin Dewitt Henson
Votes: 22,863 | Gross: $9.59M
Available to Rent
87. Something the Lord Made (2004 TV Movie)
TV-PG | 110 min | Biography, Drama
A dramatization of the relationship between heart surgery pioneers Alfred Blalock and Vivien Thomas.
Director: Joseph Sargent | Stars: Cliff McMullen, Yasiin Bey, Luray Cooper, Alan Rickman
Votes: 15,343
Available to Rent
88. The Hurricane (1999)
R | 146 min | Biography, Drama, Sport
The story of Rubin 'Hurricane' Carter, a boxer wrongly imprisoned for murder, and the people who aided in his fight to prove his innocence.
Director: Norman Jewison | Stars: Denzel Washington, Vicellous Shannon, Deborah Kara Unger, Liev Schreiber
Votes: 102,402 | Gross: $50.67M
Available to Rent
89. The Birth of a Nation (2016)
R | 120 min | Biography, Drama, History
Nat Turner, a literate slave and preacher in the antebellum South, orchestrates an uprising.
Director: Nate Parker | Stars: Nate Parker, Armie Hammer, Penelope Ann Miller, Jackie Earle Haley
Votes: 21,817 | Gross: $15.86M
Available to Rent
90. Hurricane Season (2009)
PG-13 | 102 min | Drama, Sport
Al, a basketball coach at a New Orleans high school, finally has a winning team when Hurricane Katrina happens. He tries to build a winning team anew after the hurricane.
Director: Tim Story | Stars: Forest Whitaker, Isaiah Washington, Shad Moss, Taraji P. Henson
Votes: 3,216
Available to Rent
91. 42 (2013)
PG-13 | 128 min | Biography, Drama, Sport
In 1947, Jackie Robinson becomes the first African-American to play in Major League Baseball in the modern era when he was signed by the Brooklyn Dodgers and faces considerable racism in the process.
Director: Brian Helgeland | Stars: Chadwick Boseman, T.R. Knight, Harrison Ford, Nicole Beharie
Votes: 102,658 | Gross: $95.00M
Available to Rent
92. Harriet (I) (2019)
PG-13 | 125 min | Action, Biography, Drama
The extraordinary tale of Harriet Tubman's escape from slavery and transformation into one of America's greatest heroes, whose courage, ingenuity, and tenacity freed hundreds of slaves and changed the course of history.
Director: Kasi Lemmons | Stars: Cynthia Erivo, Janelle Monáe, Leslie Odom Jr., Joe Alwyn
Votes: 30,700
Available to Rent
93. Hidden Figures (2016)
PG | 127 min | Biography, Drama, History
The story of a team of female African-American mathematicians who served a vital role in NASA during the early years of the U.S. space program.
Director: Theodore Melfi | Stars: Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer, Janelle Monáe, Kevin Costner
Votes: 255,092 | Gross: $169.61M
Available to Rent
94. Straight Outta Compton (2015)
R | 147 min | Biography, Drama, History
The rap group NWA emerges from the mean streets of Compton in Los Angeles, California, in the mid-1980s and revolutionizes Hip Hop culture with their music and tales about life in the hood.
Director: F. Gary Gray | Stars: O'Shea Jackson Jr., Corey Hawkins, Jason Mitchell, Neil Brown Jr.
Votes: 218,387 | Gross: $161.20M
Available to Rent
95. Just Mercy (2019)
PG-13 | 137 min | Biography, Crime, Drama
World-renowned civil rights defense attorney Bryan Stevenson works to free a wrongly condemned death row prisoner.
Director: Destin Daniel Cretton | Stars: Michael B. Jordan, Jamie Foxx, Brie Larson, Charlie Pye Jr.
Votes: 75,696
Available to Rent
96. Selma (2014)
PG-13 | 128 min | Biography, Drama, History
A chronicle of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s campaign to secure equal voting rights via an epic march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama, in 1965.
Director: Ava DuVernay | Stars: David Oyelowo, Carmen Ejogo, Oprah Winfrey, Tom Wilkinson
Votes: 95,441 | Gross: $52.08M
Available to Rent
97. The Best of Enemies (2019)
PG-13 | 133 min | Biography, Drama, History
Civil rights activist Ann Atwater faces off against C.P. Ellis, Exalted Cyclops of the Ku Klux Klan, in 1971 Durham, North Carolina over the issue of school integration.
Director: Robin Bissell | Stars: Taraji P. Henson, Sam Rockwell, Babou Ceesay, Anne Heche
Votes: 19,550 | Gross: $10.21M
Available to Rent
98. Emperor (2020)
PG-13 | 99 min | Biography, Drama, History
An escaped slave travels north and has chance encounters with Frederick Douglass and John Brown. Based on the life story of Shields Green.
Director: Mark Amin | Stars: Mykelti Williamson, James Cromwell, Bruce Dern, Kat Graham
Votes: 1,532
Available to Rent
99. Coach Carter (2005)
PG-13 | 136 min | Biography, Drama, Sport
Controversy surrounds high school basketball coach Ken Carter after he benches his entire team for breaking their academic contract with him.
Director: Thomas Carter | Stars: Samuel L. Jackson, Rick Gonzalez, Robert Ri'chard, Rob Brown
Votes: 171,823 | Gross: $67.26M
Available to Rent
100. Lean on Me (1989)
PG-13 | 108 min | Drama
The dedicated but tyrannical Joe Clark is appointed the principal of a decaying inner-city school he is determined to improve by any and all means.
Director: John G. Avildsen | Stars: Morgan Freeman, Beverly Todd, Robert Guillaume, Alan North
Votes: 22,968 | Gross: $31.91M
Available to Rent
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