Iconic Films To Watch During Black History Month

In 1926, Dr. Carter G. Woodson created “Negro History Week” to challenge the exclusion of Black people from American history. He sought to promote education, celebrate achievement, and build pride in African American heritage. Over the past 100 years, Black filmmakers and storytellers have transformed cinema.

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Oscar Micheaux produced the first feature-length film by an African American in 1919 with The Homesteader and went on to direct 42 films for Black audiences between 1919 and 1948, using “race films” to confront stereotypes. Melvin Van Peebles’ Sweet Sweetback’s Baadasssss Song (1971) ignited the blaxploitation era and became a cultural touchstone known as the “Godfather of Black Cinema.”

Sidney Poitier became the first Black winner of the Best Actor Oscar for Lilies of the Field (1963). Steve McQueen became the first Black producer to win Best Picture with 12 Years a Slave (2013). Barry Jenkins’ Moonlight (2016) also won Best Picture and brought Black queer identity to the forefront of mainstream film.

Ryan Coogler’s Black Panther (2018) earned nearly 700 million dollars at the domestic box office, becoming the highest-grossing film by a Black director and a milestone for representation. Jordan Peele’s Get Out (2017) grossed more than 255 million dollars worldwide on a 4.5 million dollar budget, won the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay, and launched his career in social horror.

To honor Dr. Woodson’s legacy, we highlight films that reflect these achievements and invite you to watch them as part of this historic century of Black history on screen.

Oscar Micheaux

Within Our Gates (1920): Oscar Micheaux’s bold response to The Birth of a Nation, tackling lynching and Jim Crow through a dramatic tale of love and education.

Paul Robeson

Body and Soul (1925): Paul Robeson’s screen debut as a preacher with a dark secret; Micheaux’s silent masterpiece faced censorship for its raw social critique.

Sweet Sweetback’s Baadasssss Song (1971): Melvin Van Peebles’ revolutionary indie features an all-Black cast/crew, fusing sex, violence, and rebellion; hailed by Black Panthers as a call to action.

Sidney Poitier 

Sidney Poitier became the first Black winner of the Best Actor Oscar for Lilies of the Field (1963)

Shaft (1971): Gordon Parks Sr.’s directorial debut launched blaxploitation with Richard Roundtree as the cool detective fighting crime and racism.

Cooley High (1975) is a coming-of-age dramedy set in 1964 Chicago that follows best friends Leroy “Preach” Jackson and Richard “Cochise” Morris, carefree seniors at an inner-city high school. 

Sounder (1972) follows the Morgan family, Black sharecroppers in 1930s Louisiana, whose lives are upended when father Nathan Lee is jailed for stealing food. His eldest son, David Lee, embarks on a long journey with their loyal dog Sounder to find him, discovering a school and a caring teacher who opens his world to education. The film highlights family love, dignity, and resilience in the face of poverty and racial injustice.

Malcolm X (1992): Spike Lee’s epic biopic stars Denzel Washington in a transformative role, chronicling the leader’s evolution with iconic cinematography.

Moonlight (2016): Barry Jenkins’ Oscar-winning Best Picture portrays a Black gay man’s life in three acts, revolutionizing queer Black representation with poetic visuals.

Judas and the Black Messiah (2021): Shaka King’s thriller dramatizes Fred Hampton’s FBI assassination, earning Daniel Kaluuya an Oscar for embodying Black Panther defiance.