Black History Month is the perfect opportunity to drink in recent films and series that deepen our knowledge of familiar events or people, such as “Rustin” and “Ladies First: A Story of Women in Hip Hop,” which bring to the fore unheralded, extraordinary individuals such as “Chevalier” or offer a fresh look at classic tales like “The Color Purple.”
The Cost of Inheritance (worldchannel.org)
Filmmaker Yoruba Richen (“The Green Book: Guide to Freedom”) brings together descendants of the enslaved, such as the 272 people sold in 1838 to fund the development of Georgetown University, and descendants of enslavers. They investigate the economic impact of slavery, Jim Crow, segregation, and the post-Civil Rights Movement systemic discrimination against Black Americans and the evolution of the concept of reparations in America.
Rustin (Netflix)
Colman Domingo (“If Beale Street Could Talk”) gives a moving portrayal of historical figure Bayard Rustin, a logistical genius whose skills launched the March on Washington in 1963. Rustin was also gay and encountered resistance to his participation in the Civil Rights Movement from those within and without.
Directed by George C. Wolfe, “Rustin” is perhaps one of the best portrayals of the Civil Rights Movement on film. Punctuated by powerful performances by the likes of Jeffrey Wright and Glynn Turman, the movie not only documents Rustin’s life but also highlights the movement as an amalgam of diverse activists.
Related Story: Celebrate Black History Month with these 25 essential movies
Chevalier (Hulu)
Kelvin Harrison Jr. gives an affecting portrayal of an historical figure forgotten until recently. Harrison plays the brilliant 18th-century French composer (sometimes called “Black Mozart”) and military man Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges.
The film traces his unsteady rise in society from a talented child musician to his position as the head of the vaunted Paris Opera, conditionally accepted into the circle of the likes of Marie Antoinette, and a decorated soldier, all the while battling personal demons and racial prejudice.
Donyale Luna: Supermodel (Max)
Though Donyale Luna was the first Black woman to grace the cover of hallowed fashion bible Vogue magazine (her British Vogue cover preceded Beverly Johnson on American Vogue by eight years), she has been all but lost to history.
This HBO documentary chronicles a complicated figure who had a fraught relationship with her own identity as a Black woman. Archival images and video, interviews with family and industry colleagues reveal a woman who, though she could be considered tragic, was an undeniable visionary, strong enough to break down barrier after barrier until her untimely death.
South To Black Power (Max)
New York Times columnist and regular cable news contributor Charles Blow’s bestselling treatise “The Devil You Know” arguing for reversing the Great Migration to achieve greater political and social power in the South is adapted into an HBO documentary. Blow speaks to historians, political activists, friends and family members to make his compelling case for African Americans to move down South.
Ladies First: A Story of Women in Hip Hop (Netflix)
This documentary traces the contribution of women in what has become a $15 billion industry, from Cindy Campbell’s 1973 fundraising party in a South Bronx community room to today’s luminaries such as Missy Elliott, Megan Thee Stallion, and Nicki Minaj.
Through interviews and archive footage, “Ladies of Hip Hop” takes an expansive look at the way the male-dominated hip-hop industry impacted the trajectory of women’s images and opportunities in hip-hop, the triumphs of women in hip-hop, and the challenges they faced along the way.
Little Richard: I Am Everything (Max)
This HBO documentary charts the life and career of Little Richard, a singular figure whose impact on American music is often obscured, with music writers and historians opting instead to focus on his “flamboyance.” Executively produced by Dee Rees (“Mudbound”), the doc explores the superstar’s conflicted relationship with music and reminds the world of rock music’s Black and queer origins.
”Genius: MLK/X” (National Geo)
This docu-series follows both Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (Kelvin Harrison Jr.) and Malcolm X (Aaron Pierre) from their formative years, where they were molded by strong fathers and traumatic injustices, to their rich, parallel stories as they shaped their identities and became the change they wished to see in the world. The series debuted on Feb. 1 on National Geographic and can be viewed on iDisney+ and Hulu.
The Color Purple
Taraji P. Henson (“What Men Want”) and Colman Domingo (“Euphoria”) deliver tour de force performances in this screen adaptation of the musical “The Color Purple” itself an adaptation of the classic novel by Alice Walker. Though criticized by many as a “struggle film,” it is a must-see for the source material’s place in the literary canon. In addition, it boasts spectacular choreography and musical performances, beautiful costuming, and all-around strong acting. The overall effect of this film is that of sisterhood, empowerment, triumph, redemption, hope and joy for all the characters.
Air (Amazon Prime Video)
This biopic charts the story of the significance of larger-than-life sports figure Michael Jordan in turning the Nike brand from a sleep also-ran into an industry behemoth. Heavy on nostalgia and charisma and featuring a slew of strong acting performances by the likes of Marlon Wayans, Matt Damon, and more, it falters only in its on-screen portrayal of Jordan. White male marketing execs’ experiences are the focal point, but “Air” also highlights the contribution of Black marketing exec Howard White (Chris Tucker) and reveals the overwhelming influence of Jordan’s mother Deloris (Viola Davis) in the history-making deal that made Nike a global brand.
Origin (in theaters)
Director Ava DuVernay weaves the personal and political in this film based on the bestselling book “Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents,” by groundbreaking Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Isabel Wilkerson. The book drew parallels between Nazi Germany, India, and America’s systems of racial discrimination to demonstrate the systemic foundations and psychological determinants of prejudice, which occurs even in racially homogeneous societies. Though the book focused almost solely on the sociological underpinnings of prejudice, the film, starring Aunjanue Ellis, Niecy Nash, and Jon Bernthal, also takes a biographical approach to the author, interspersing it with the story of her griefs and challenges.
African Queens: Njinga (Netflix)
This docudrama intersperses interviews with experts and scripted action to shed light on the reign of a too-little-known figure in history, Queen Njinga (also spelled Nzingha) of what is present-day Angola. An extraordinary and complex figure, she ruled for over 20 years, and though many of her decisions were questionable, she deserves to be recognized as a brilliant political and military tactician who successfully fought major wars against the Portuguese in the 17th century.
Queen Cleopatra (Netflix)
Produced by Jada Pinkett, this four-episode series mixes traditional documentary elements such as interviews with historians’ commentary and narrative action to deliver a fascinating look into the life and times of one of history’s most intriguing female figures.
Support Black local news
Help amplify Black voices by donating to the MSR. Your contribution enables critical coverage of issues affecting the community and empowers authentic storytelling.