What to Binge on Netflix During Black History Month

Date Published: February 2, 2021

In 1976, the first year the US government officially acknowledged Black History Month, President Gerald Ford described the month as an opportunity “to honor the too-often neglected accomplishments of Black Americans in every area of endeavor throughout our history.” While the legacy and purpose of Black History Month are up for debate, February at the very least teaches us to recognize the institutional injustices Black communities have faced throughout history, and to honor the contributions of Black Americans.

Too often, US schools practice “erasure” by leaving out or misrepresenting the truth about Black historical figures and events. For example, in 2018, only 8% of high school seniors could correctly identify slavery as the main cause of the Civil War. Schools aren’t teaching the real deal on Black history, but we can. By inspiring friends to watch things like When They See Us, LA 92, and Whose Streets, we can fight erasure and get educated during Black History Month and beyond.

And it doesn’t stop with films! Consider picking out a book or two for February that centers the experiences of Black authors and protagonists. Then, through DoSomething’s Diversity Book Club campaign, you can host a book club meeting to help your friends learn what too many schools aren’t teaching this Black History Month.

1. 13th

Filmmaker Ava DuVernay explores “the intersection of race, justice and mass incarceration in the United States” in the groundbreaking Emmy-winning documentary 13th. Titled after the thirteenth amendment of the Constitution, the film tracks the history of race relations in America, from Jim Crow to Black Lives Matter.

2. I Am Not Your Negro

This film is based on novelist James Baldwin’s unfinished memoir Remember This House, with excerpts narrated by Samuel L. Jackson. In I Am Not Your Negro, we see 1960s America and the fight for Black liberation through Baldwin’s eyes as he reflects on his friendships with civil rights leaders Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcolm X, and Medgar Evers.

3. ReMastered: The Two Killings of Sam Cooke

Sam Cooke was a hugely influential singer-songwriter and an outspoken civil rights activist in the 1950s. Cooke was shot to death at age 33, and the circumstances of his death have been under question ever since. ReMastered: The Two Killings of Sam Cooke investigates the mystery behind Cooke’s murder and the tension between being both an entertainer and an activist. It aims to show viewers “the music you know [and] the stories you don’t.”

4. When They See Us

Another work from director Ava DuVernay, When They See Us is an Emmy-winning miniseries depicting the real-life nightmare of the Central Park Five (now often called the Exonerated Five), a group of five teenage boys who were wrongfully convicted in a prominent 1989 sexual assault case. It’s a heartbreakingly true story that shines a light on our flawed criminal justice system and the way society unfairly perceives Black youth and other youth of color.

5. Whose Streets?

Whose Streets explores a monumental period in modern Black history ignited by the police killing of 18-year-old Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri. The documentary is told by the activists who turned their grief into resistance during the Ferguson uprising, propelling the Black Lives Matter movement and a whole new generation of leaders to the forefront.

6. Self Made: Inspired by the Life of Madame C.J. Walker

This film is based on entrepreneur and philanthropist Madame C.J. Walker, who was the first self-made woman millionaire in the US. She used her position to advocate for racial justice and help other Black women achieve financial independence. Self Made is as much a testament to Walker’s entrepreneurial spirit as it is a love letter to Black women and the way they’ve defied and revolutionized the beauty industry for centuries.

7. The Death and Life of Marsha P. Johnson

If Black History Month is about telling stories of the marginalized and underrepresented, then the voices of LGBTQ+ people of color deserve to be heard as well. The Death and Life of Marsha P. Johnson does exactly that, walking viewers through the legacy of trans activist Marsha P. Johnson. Johnson was a powerful figure in the gay liberation movement and in the Stonewall uprising, events whose histories are so often whitewashed.

8. Loving

The biographical romance film Loving is a strong choice for those looking for a Black History Month x Valentine’s Day crossover. It’s based on the relationship between Mildred and Richard Loving, whose landmark case struck down laws banning interracial marriage. It shows their journey from the Virginia countryside to the Supreme Court in defense of their love.

9. Roxanne Roxanne

Roxanne Roxanne tells the true story of a 14-year-old girl from Queens and her ascent to hip-hop stardom as one of early rap’s first female MCs. If you haven’t heard of Roxanne Shanté before, this biopic will give you an understanding of all that she overcame and accomplished as a pioneering figure of hip-hop.

10. LA 92

You may have heard the 1992 Los Angeles riots referred to as the Rodney King riots, sparked by the brutal beating of Rodney King at the hands of four LA police officers. LA 92 uses only raw, archival footage to paint a vivid picture of the decades leading up to the LA riots and the fallout that’s still felt over 25 years later.