12 Biopics to Recognize and Appreciate Significant Women and Men from Black History
There are many iconic people to celebrate during Black History Month - here are 12 to get you started.
1. Tuskegee Airmen (1995) – The story of the first African-American Air Force troop during World War II, who overcome institutionalized racism and prejudice to become a respected and ferocious team. Available on Hulu with HBOMax add-on, Amazon Prime, HBOMax, Vudu, iTunes, Google Play, and YouTube.
2. Ruby Bridges (1998) – As the first African-American girl to integrate an all-white school in New Orleans, Ruby Bridges faces the ugliness of the world around her to become a Black history icon. Available on Amazon Prime, Disney Plus, Vudu, iTunes, Google Play, and YouTube.
3. The Temptations (1998) – Produced by Otis Williams, this is the journey of five (and a few more) men who through song singles and celebrations to hardships and heartbreaks, become some of Motown’s most renowned musical acts. Available on Amazon Prime, Vudu, and iTunes.
4. A Woman Called Moses (1978) – Starring the late Cicely Tyson, this mini-series explores the extensive expedition of Harriet Tubman, as she helps rescue and release more than 300 slaves through the Underground Railroad. Available on Amazon Prime and AppleTV.
5. The Banker (2020) – Racism prevents two African-American men from investing in real estate until they persuade a white man to front their business ventures, integrating neighborhoods and boosting Black business and homeownership rights. Available on AppleTV and Google Play.
6. What’s Love Got to Do With It (1993) – Anna Mae Bullock pursues a singing career with musician Ike Turner, and after becoming his wife, she rises above his abusive ways to morph into who we now know as the legendary Tina Turner. Available on Amazon Prime, Vudu, iTunes, Google Play, and YouTube.
7. Marshall (2017) – The late Chadwick Boseman (co-producer) portrays lawyer and Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall during one of his early cases as he fights to save a Black man who has wrongfully been accused of raping a white woman. Available on Amazon Prime, Vudu, iTunes, Google Play, and YouTube.
8. Bessie (2015) – A young singer named Bessie Smith copes with a hard childhood and faces issues of competition, racism, sexual identity, and physical violence while rising through blues history. Executive Producer Queen Latifah and directed by Dee Rees. Available on Hulu with HBOMax add-on, Amazon Prime, HBOMax, Vudu, iTunes, Google Play and YouTube.
9. Selma (2014) – Directed by Ava DuVernay and produced by Oprah Winfrey, Selma tells the story of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and company as they plan and carry out the march from Selma to Montgomery, resulting in the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Available on Hulu with LIVETV add-on, Amazon Prime, Vudu, iTunes, Google Play, and YouTube.
10. Hidden Figures (2016) – Three exceptional African-American women working at NASA are largely responsible for the successful launch and return of John Glenn into Earth’s orbit, throwing the U.S. into first place in the Space Race. Based on the book by Margot Lee Shetterly with Pharrell Williams as a producer. Available on Amazon Prime, DisneyPlus, Hulu with LIVETV add-on, YouTube, iTunes, Google Play, and Vudu.
11. Malcolm X (1992) – Directed by Spike Lee and based on writing by Alex Haley, this is the story of Malcolm X. Follow his life as young boy in foster care, through his journey of faith into the Nation of Islam, to speaking out for a separate Black community, and providing an alternative view that violence in self-defense was more proactive than the mainstream Civil Rights Movement’s non-violence ideals. Available on HBOMax, Amazon Prime, Hulu with LIVETV add-on, YouTube, iTunes, Google Play, and Vudu.
12. Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (2020) – “Mother of the Blues” singer Ma Rainey and her band fight with each other and through institutionalized racism for creative control of their music. As anxieties press down, truths come out that leave their lives forever changed. Directed by George C. Wolfe, produced by Denzel Washington and based on the play by August Wilson. Available on Netflix.
Emily Cunningham is a freelance magazine writer with a passion for wildlife conservation, social issues, and artistic pursuits including dance, creative writing, and handmade art.
