Movies and TV Shows Highlighting the History of the Black Lives Matter Movement

This past summer, a wave of nationwide protests and various calls to action were sparked by the murder of George Floyd at the hands of a police officer.  His last minutes of life were caught on camera as he was killed by law enforcement. With the similarly-timed murders of Breonna Taylor and Amad Arbury, there has been a great unveiling and deep examination into the systematic racism that has plagued our country since its founding in 1776. While some have been or have recently become deeply educated in the nonstop, ongoing struggles of African Americans in the US, others are opening their eyes for the first time ready to listen and learn. 

Social media has proven to be a powerful platform to educate the masses about an array of issues, especially in 2020. While graphics and guides circulated on ways to better understand the Black Lives Matter protests, we feel these have been placed on the back-burner. 

The struggles that Black Americans face in our country have not gone away since this summer. Since we are headed home for a lengthy break, this is a perfect time to sit on the couch with family and view content that explains the history and individual lives of Black Americans and the Black Lives Matter movement. Many students are interested to gain understanding and consume this content, but aren’t sure where to start. 

We’ve provided a list of easily streamable shows, movies and documentaries, where to find them, and what specifically we learned from them.

When They See Us (Netflix)

When They See Us is a four part series on Netflix based directly on the stories of the 1989 Central Park Five. In 1989, Trisha Meili was found in Central Park in the early hours of the morning after being raped and beaten to near death. The NYPD essentially framed, and forced confessions, out of five young Black and Latino teenage boys. As a result, they were found to be guilty. In 2002 after serving jail time, the men were exonerated when a convicted rapist confessed. This series follows the events from the night of the assault to the subsequent questioning and framing of the boys, to their lives after serving time. It highlights the injustices in the legal system and law enforcement while keeping you on the edge of your seat. It is particularly powerful considering it happened thirty years ago. 

13th (Netflix)

13th is one of the most widely recommended viewings in this list, for good reason. This 2016 documentary deeply educates the viewer on the centuries-old history of racial injustice in the United States in a little over 90 minutes. 13th speaks to the institution of slavery and the ways it has been maintained in the U.S., even after the 13th Amendment abolished slavery. This documentary reveals deep structural and institutional racism as opposed to racist people. We found this to be one of the most educating things we have seen in a while. 

The Hate U Give (HBO, available for rent/purchase on YouTube)

The Hate U Give is a 2018 movie that is based on the 2019 novel of the same name by Angie Thomas. This is a coming of age story of a high school girl who is the sole witness to the fatal shooting of her childhood best friend by a police officer. She has to decide whether to speak up and learn how to harness her power and voice while attending a predominantly white private school and living in a primarily black neighborhood. 

Dear White People (Netflix)

This fictional television series, created by Netflix, highlights the lives and obstacles of a diverse group of students at a prominent university with a plethora of ignored racial tensions. This show is comedic and satirical yet uncovers some poignant issues that appear across US college campuses. This is a good “sit back and relax” show, one where you can still educate yourself in an uncomplicated process. 

LA 92 (Netflix)
LA 92 tells the story of the 1992 Los Angeles riots that occurred after the Rodney King trial. This documentary premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival in 2017 and was produced and directed by Oscar winning filmmakers. It dives into what happened during this pivotal time in American history, debuting exclusive footage and stories. We think it is important to reflect on this history in contrast to what is happening in our country today. 

Moonlight (Netflix)

Moonlight won the 2016 Academy Award for Best Picture as well as a plethora of other prestigious awards. This creatively-filmed movie tells the story of Chiron in 1980s Miami throughout three different major life stages: child, teenager, and adult. With this story comes the struggles of an impoverished black, gay man, with an absent mother, who is just trying to survive. This movie gives a powerful, personal testimony into the life of a marginalized black man.

If Beale Street Could Talk (Hulu)

This 2018 film tells the story of Tish Rivers, who becomes pregnant and simultaneously loses her fiancé as he is falsely imprisoned. She sets out to prove his innocence, telling both a story of her growth as well as a frustrating insight into our criminal system. This movie is more of a drama, but is still worth the watch. Fonny’s story is not a fictional idea, but a reality that almost one-third of African-American men experience to some degree in the United States. 

BlacKKKlansman (HBO, available for rent/purchase)

This 2018 movie was directed by Spike Lee and, unsurprisingly, nominated for six Oscars. This amazingly artistic movie tells the true story of a Colorado Springs black police detective who infiltrates the Ku Klux Klan with the help of a Jewish officer. This story is based on actual events. It will keep you on the edge of your seat, while consuming history about black civil rights leaders in the 1960s. It is disturbing, but also intentionally entertaining and not unequivocally heavy and dark. 

Who Killed Malcolm X (Netflix)

This is a six episode docu-series that investigates the 1965 death of African American leader and activist, Malcolm X. Activist, Abdur-Rahman Muhammad looks into the details of Malcolm X’s assasination, while reflecting back on his life and the impact of his death. This is an important watch to better understand history through a deeper dive into this jarring event.