Sort by Popularity - Most Popular Movies and TV Shows tagged with keyword "black-history"
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1. 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: 255,831 | Gross: $169.61M
2. 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: 742,108 | Gross: $56.67M
3. Glory (1989)
R | 122 min | Biography, Drama, History
Robert Gould Shaw leads the U.S. Civil War's first all-black volunteer company, fighting prejudices from both his own Union Army, and the Confederates.
Director: Edward Zwick | Stars: Matthew Broderick, Denzel Washington, Cary Elwes, Morgan Freeman
Votes: 144,700 | Gross: $26.83M
4. 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: 102,192 | Gross: $48.17M
5. 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: 119,808 | Gross: $116.63M
6. 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: 95,553 | Gross: $52.08M
7. 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: 105,638 | Gross: $58.20M
8. Da 5 Bloods (2020)
R | 154 min | Adventure, Drama, War
Four black veterans battle the forces of man and nature when they return to Viet Nam seeking the remains of their fallen squad leader and the gold fortune he helped them hide.
Director: Spike Lee | Stars: Delroy Lindo, Jonathan Majors, Clarke Peters, Norm Lewis
Votes: 55,198
9. Bookmarks (2020)
TV-G | Short, Family
Prominent Black celebrities and artists read children's books from Black authors that highlight the Black experience. Conversations center around themes of identity, respect, justice, and action.
Stars: Marley Dias, Common, Tiffany Haddish, Lupita Nyong'o
Votes: 355
10. Miss Juneteenth (2020)
Unrated | 99 min | Drama
A former beauty queen and single mom prepares her rebellious teenage daughter for the "Miss Juneteenth" pageant.
Director: Channing Godfrey Peoples | Stars: Nicole Beharie, Liz Mikel, Marcus M. Mauldin, Kendrick Sampson
Votes: 2,168
11. Medicine for Melancholy (2008)
Not Rated | 88 min | Drama, Romance
Twenty-four hours in the tentative relationship of two young San Franciscans also dealing with the conundrum of being a minority in a rapidly gentrifying city.
Director: Barry Jenkins | Stars: Wyatt Cenac, Tracey Heggins, John Thurgood, Brent Weinbach
Votes: 2,624 | Gross: $0.11M
12. Jazz (2001)
108 min | Documentary, History, Music
A survey of the musical form's history and major talents.
Stars: Keith David, Wynton Marsalis, Gary Giddins, Delroy Lindo
Votes: 2,504
13. Robin Roberts Presents: Mahalia (2021 TV Movie)
TV-PG | 102 min | Biography, Drama, Music
The story of the New Orleans-born crooner who began singing at an early age and went on to become one of the most revered gospel figures in U.S. history, melding her music with the civil rights movement.
Director: Kenny Leon | Stars: Danielle Brooks, Olivia Washington, Joaquina Kalukango, Jason Dirden
Votes: 695
14. Montford: The Chickasaw Rancher (2021)
TV-14 | 96 min | Biography, Drama, History
A remarkable story inspired by the life of renowned Chickasaw cattleman Montford T. Johnson, a man who overcame great hardships to establish a ranching empire along the famous cattle highway of the American West, the Chisolm Trail.
Director: Nathan Frankowski | Stars: Martin Sensmeier, Dermot Mulroney, Tommy Flanagan, James Landry Hébert
Votes: 1,004
15. What Happened, Miss Simone? (2015)
Not Rated | 101 min | Documentary, Biography, Music
A documentary about the life and legend Nina Simone, an American singer, pianist, and civil rights activist labeled the "High Priestess of Soul."
Director: Liz Garbus | Stars: Nina Simone, Lisa Simone Kelly, Roger Nupie, Al Schackman
Votes: 14,841
16. Eyes on the Prize (1987–1990)
TV-PG | 360 min | Documentary, History
A documentary about the American Civil Rights Movement from 1952 to 1965.
Stars: Julian Bond, Coretta Scott King, John Lewis, Andrew Young
Votes: 737
17. Unforgivable Blackness: The Rise and Fall of Jack Johnson (2004)
TV-PG | 214 min | Documentary, Biography, Sport
The story of Jack Johnson, the first African-American Heavyweight boxing champion.
Director: Ken Burns | Stars: Jack Johnson, Keith David, Samuel L. Jackson, Adam Arkin
Votes: 1,693
18. Freedom Road (1979 TV Movie)
186 min | Drama
A former slave Gideon Jackson, after fighting in the civil war returns home as a free man and becomes a U.S. senator. Will he ever achieve real equality with his former white master?
Director: Ján Kadár | Stars: Muhammad Ali, Kris Kristofferson, Ron O'Neal, Edward Herrmann
Votes: 207
19. Blood Brothers: Malcolm X & Muhammad Ali (2021)
PG-13 | 95 min | Documentary, Biography, History
From a chance meeting to a tragic fallout, Malcolm X and Muhammad Ali's extraordinary bond cracks under the weight of distrust and shifting ideals.
Director: Marcus A. Clarke | Stars: Ilyasah Shabazz, Rahman Ali, Cornel West, Todd Boyd
Votes: 1,211
20. Looking for Langston (1989)
R | 45 min | Biography, Drama
A black and white, fantasy-like recreation of high-society gay men during the Harlem Renaissance, with archival footage and photographs intercut with a story. A wake is going on, with ... See full summary »
Director: Isaac Julien | Stars: Ben Ellison, Matthew Baidoo, Akim Mogaji, John Wilson
Votes: 613
21. A Huey P. Newton Story (2001 TV Movie)
TV-14 | 86 min | Documentary, Biography, Drama
The story of how the radical Huey P. Newton developed the Black Panther Party based on his 10-point program for social reform.
Director: Spike Lee | Stars: Roger Guenveur Smith, Rahum Brown, Brenda Lee, Georgina Ransley
Votes: 853
22. Fly
Action, Drama, Romance | Announced
In 2009 Atlanta, four young African American women, a Latina executive and a Caucasian heiress work for an airline at the world's busiest airport while confronting personal and professional challenges.
Stars: Bruce Boxleitner, Tatyana Ali, Glynn Turman, Dan Lauria
23. Brother Future (1991 TV Movie)
TV-PG | 103 min | Drama, History, Sci-Fi
A young street rapper is transported back in time to the pre-Civil War South, where he finds himself in the middle of a slave revolt.
Director: Roy Campanella II | Stars: Phill Lewis, Carl Lumbly, Michael Burgess, Akosua Busia
Votes: 228
24. Kevin Hart's Guide to Black History (2019 TV Movie)
TV-PG | 62 min | Comedy
Kevin Hart highlights the fascinating contributions of black history's unsung heroes in this entertaining and educational comedy special.
Director: Tom Stern | Stars: Steve Agee, Derek Basco, Brad Berryhill, Kirk Bovill
Votes: 1,470
25. Juneteenth: Faith & Freedom (2022)
75 min | Documentary
A Black American is troubled by the legacy of American slavery and the misuse of Christianity to justify it. He travels throughout Texas discovering how the Juneteenth reveals faith and a fight for freedom in an unjust society.
Director: Ya'Ke Smith | Stars: Rasool Berry, Lecrae, Opal Lee
Votes: 17
26. The Murder of Fred Hampton (1971)
Not Rated | 88 min | Documentary, Biography, Crime
A chronicle of Fred Hampton's revolutionary leadership of the Illinois Black Panther Party, followed by an investigation into his assassination at the hands of the Chicago Police Department.
Director: Howard Alk | Stars: Skip Andrew, Edward Carmody, James Davis, Rennie Davis
Votes: 557
27. One Man and His Shoes (2020)
Not Rated | 83 min | Documentary, Biography, History
'One Man and His Shoes' tells the story of the phenomenon of Air Jordan sneakers showing their social, cultural and racial significance and how ground-breaking marketing strategies created a multi-billion-dollar business.
Director: Yemi Bamiro | Stars: David Falk, Jemele Hill, Scoop Jackson, DJ Clark Kent
Votes: 427
28. Iraniyan (1999)
163 min | Action, Drama
A home-coming military man becomes rebel after seeing caste discrimination and brutal killings by a landlord over lower caste people.
Director: Vincent Selva | Stars: Meena, Raghuvaran, Ranjith, Murali Siddalingaiah
Votes: 26
29. Legacies (2019)
34 min | Documentary, Short
In the heart of West Philadelphia, an area that is rapidly changing, sits Jubilee School. For over 40 years this small school has offered a radical curriculum centered around Black History,... See full summary »
Director: Clair Maleney
30. Black Is Beautiful (2023)
32 min | Documentary, Short
This short documentary film tells the story of a man who uses his talents to support and lift his community. The Black is Beautiful initiative is a collaborative effort amongst the brewing ... See full summary »
Director: Marco Ortega | Stars: Marcus Baskerville, Terry Davis, Shermiah Doughtry, Mike Holt
31. Emicida: AmarElo - It's All for Yesterday (2020)
TV-MA | 89 min | Documentary, Music
Between scenes from his concert in São Paulo's Theatro Municipal, rapper and activist Emicida celebrates the rich legacy of Black Brazilian culture.
Director: Fred Ouro Preto | Stars: Emicida, Zeca Pagodinho, Pabllo Vittar
Votes: 1,667
32. South (1999)
71 min | Documentary
A documentary examining the effect of a man dragged to death on the residents in Jasper, Texas.
Director: Chantal Akerman
Votes: 397
33. August 28th (2016)
22 min | Documentary, Short
Documentary film on events that happened on August 28th in African-American history.
Director: Ava DuVernay | Stars: Don Cheadle, Regina King, Angela Bassett, Gugu Mbatha-Raw
Votes: 102
34. Black Life: Untold Stories (I) (2023– )
Documentary, History
Interviews to narrate the long history of anti-black racism in Canada, including police brutality and the rise of hip-hop music.
Stars: Brian Obonna, Wes Williams, Jully Black, David Austin
Votes: 22
35. American Revolution 2 (1969)
86 min | Documentary
A gritty but essential documentary charting social turbulence in late 1960's Chicago. American Revolution 2 includes footage of the 1968 Democratic Convention protest and riot, a critique ... See full summary »
Directors: Howard Alk, Mike Gray | Stars: Richard J. Daley, Charles Geary, Dick Gregory, Bobby Lee
Votes: 134
36. Allensworth (2022)
65 min | Documentary
It centers on Allensworth, the first self-administered African-American municipality in California, showcasing the buildings of the now-abandoned town and looking for the traces of a Black cultural history.
Director: James Benning
Votes: 43
37. 1000 Years a Slave (2021)
45 min | Documentary, History
An exploration of how slavery has underpinned world history.
Stars: Karen Bryson, David Harewood, Mary Elliott, Patrick Robinson
Votes: 24
38. Echoes from the 19th Century (2022)
47 min | Documentary, History
An immersive documentary of reenacted voices from quotes, letters, and speeches from the 19th Century.
Director: Cole Lewis | Stars: Peter Bradshaw, Tammie Everette, Querida Lu Ahn Funck, Joe Geoffrey
Votes: 6
39. Finding Hope Home (2022)
48 min | Documentary, History
The story of a family who began rescuing children from the streets of Nairobi, Kenya in 1996.
Directors: Cole Lewis, Wambui Ndegwa | Stars: Pastor Lucy, Duncan Ndegwa, Wambui Ndegwa
Votes: 36
40. The First Rainbow Coalition (2019)
56 min | Documentary
Chicago 1969: Activists from the Black Panthers, Young Lords, and Young Patriots united African Americans, Latinos, and poor whites to confront police brutality and unfair housing practices... See full summary »
Director: Ray Santisteban | Stars: Billy Che Brooks, Kathleen Cleaver, Fred Hampton, Ericka Huggins
Votes: 57
41. Crown (I) (2023)
48 min | Documentary
This relevant and timely documentary explores the lived experiences of prominent local Black women in Tulsa pertaining to racism and discrimination in the workplace and school. It is also a... See full summary »
Director: Tamecca S. Rogers | Stars: Dawn Carter, Lakisha Cyrus, Toya Forbes, France Gammage
42. Facing North: Jefferson Street, Nashville (2020 TV Special)
60 min | History
Explore roots and lifestyles of residents and establishments in the Jefferson Street area over the decades, as well as the meaning, motives and potential of efforts to revitalize this community while preserving its legacy.
Director: LaTonya Turner
43. 68 (2008 TV Movie)
110 min | Documentary, History, War
From Washington to Saigon, Rome to Mexico, Paris to London, a wave of demonstrations shakes the world. 68 travels back in time to war torn Vietnam, freed and occupied Prague, Paris demonstrating, revolution in the Americas.
Director: Patrick Rotman | Stars: Edouard Balladur, The Beatles, Claude Berri, Leonid Brezhnev
Votes: 66
44. Faubourg Tremé: The Untold Story of Black New Orleans (2008)
Not Rated | 68 min | Documentary
Faubourg Treme documents the enduring legacy of one of the United States' oldest African American communities, an area just outside the French Quarter of New Orleans.
Director: Dawn Logsdon | Stars: Glen David Andrews, Harold Evans, Eric Foner, John Hope Franklin
Votes: 90
45. Mr. Jane and Finch (2019)
44 min | Documentary, Short
Winston LaRose is an 80-year-old community activist affectionately known as Mr.Jane and Finch. He has dedicated the last 25 years to supporting residents who live in the troubled community ... See full summary »
Director: Ngardy Conteh George | Star: Winston LaRose
Votes: 8
46. Public Enemy: Fight the Power (1989 Music Video)
TV-MA | 7 min | Music
Public Enemy performs in the music video "Fight the Power" from the album "Fear of a Black Planet" recorded for Def Jam Records. The music video opens with a demonstration on the street. ... See full summary »
Director: Spike Lee | Stars: Public Enemy, Chuck D, Flavor Flav, Professor Griff
Votes: 165
47. We Have Just Begun (I) (2023)
Documentary
In 1919, black workers' decades-long efforts to challenge exploitation in the Arkansas Delta culminated in the nation's deadliest racial massacre and labor battle. It's legacy is deep, despite being hidden for over 100 years.
Director: Michael Warren Wilson
48. The Unlearning of US: The Blue-gieman & US (2022)
59 min | Documentary
The Blue-gieman and US is a documentary that takes a hard look at headlines, testimonies, and the hard facts of police brutality in America. It's a dark road of hate but winds itself around towards the light of conscious possibilities.
Director: Drusilla Talley-Williams | Stars: Jeffrey Gardere, Everton Blair, Kimberly Latrice Jones, Khalid Kamau
49. A Time to Be Remembered (A Juneteenth Story) (1997)
58 min | History
A Time to be Remembered is a documentary film about slavery in America and the people and events that led to slavery's abolition. Included in the film is the history of famous real people ... See full summary »
Director: Hank Gray | Stars: Carry Farley, Mary Galde, Gail Fisher, Etha Gray
50. Traveling with Denella Ri'chard: Juneteenth Special (2024)
Documentary, Short, History
Beaufort, South Carolina and Jackson, Mississippi are two Southern destinations whose histories are deeply intertwined with the struggle for freedom that offer an immersive cultural experience into why America celebrates Juneteenth.
Director: Fredrick Custard | Stars: Abraham Brown, Chris DiGiovanni, Marie Gibbs, Kenneth Hodges