Listing the top ten movies on black history is challenging and arguably the tenth could be “Lincoln” except that the African descendants who would have been known to Lincoln are conspicuously missing in the film and especially notable for his absence is the abolitionist, Frederick Douglass.
1. The Color Purple (1985) was directed by Steven Spielberg and based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by Alice Walker. Popular, especially for the roles played by Whoopi Goldberg and Oprah Winfrey, it shows an African-American woman’s struggle to overcome poverty, adversity and a marriage to a brutal husband over a period of more than forty years.
Photo Credit: terr-bo
2. To Sir, With Love (1967) stars Sidney Poitier as the teacher who brilliantly handles social and racial issues in a school in the East End of London. James Clavell both directed and wrote the film’s screenplay, based on the semi-autobiographical novel by E. R. Braithwaite. As a bonus, the film’s title song, performed by Lulu, reached number one on the U.S. pop charts. This is a must-see for teachers.
Photo Credit: screenshot from Youtube video
3. Malcolm X (1992) is based on “The Autobiography of Malcolm X” by Alex Haley and tells the story of the compelling leader’s journey to civil right activism through religious conversion. It is a brilliant film, with masterful acting by Denzel Washington and direction by Spike Lee.
6. Do the Right Thing (1989), directed by Spike Lee is brilliant and controversial because it depicts temperatures rising alongside tensions between neighbors on the hottest day of the year in Brooklyn. Lee essentially uses one street to explore the enormous issue of race relations and stereotypes.
7. Sounder (1972) a tearjerker, is the name of a dog owned by a young boy who is growing up and learning to read while his father is in prison. It is the exploration of an extremely poor family of black sharecroppers in Louisiana during the Depression.
8. In The Heat of The Night (1967) is a mystery starring Sidney Poitier as a homicide detective from Philadelphia who is involved in a murder investigation in a small town in Mississippi, the movie is a portrayal of racism and prejudice. The winner of five Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Actor.
9. To Kill a Mockingbird (1962) is one of the best films that explores justice, innocence and race relations, based on the award winning novel by Harper Lee, it portrays the lives of a white family in Alabama. Atticus Finch, a father and lawyer is played by Gregory Peck, who represents a wrongly accused black man in court.
10. Roots (1977) created the legend of Alex Haley, who chronicled the story of his own family across the generations beginning with Kunta Kinte, an 18th century African who is captured and sold into slavery in the U.S., and follows the lives of his descendants, until the tale arrives at Alex Haley himself.
1. The Color Purple (1985) was directed by Steven Spielberg and based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by Alice Walker. Popular, especially for the roles played by Whoopi Goldberg and Oprah Winfrey, it shows an African-American woman’s struggle to overcome poverty, adversity and a marriage to a brutal husband over a period of more than forty years.
Photo Credit: terr-boPhoto Credit: screenshot from Youtube video
4 Akeelah and the Bee (2006) features Keke Palmer as Akeelah Anderson, a young black girl from South Los Angeles, who struggles to take part in the Scripps National Spelling Bee. This film examines issues of education in low socioeconomic African-American communities. Directed by Doug Atchison, it also features Angela Bassett and Laurence Fishburne.
7. Sounder (1972) a tearjerker, is the name of a dog owned by a young boy who is growing up and learning to read while his father is in prison. It is the exploration of an extremely poor family of black sharecroppers in Louisiana during the Depression.
8. In The Heat of The Night (1967) is a mystery starring Sidney Poitier as a homicide detective from Philadelphia who is involved in a murder investigation in a small town in Mississippi, the movie is a portrayal of racism and prejudice. The winner of five Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Actor.
9. To Kill a Mockingbird (1962) is one of the best films that explores justice, innocence and race relations, based on the award winning novel by Harper Lee, it portrays the lives of a white family in Alabama. Atticus Finch, a father and lawyer is played by Gregory Peck, who represents a wrongly accused black man in court.
10. Roots (1977) created the legend of Alex Haley, who chronicled the story of his own family across the generations beginning with Kunta Kinte, an 18th century African who is captured and sold into slavery in the U.S., and follows the lives of his descendants, until the tale arrives at Alex Haley himself.
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