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10 Black history documentaries to educate yourself with
The documentaries to watch to be better informed on race issues
Every October in the UK is also known as Black History Month, a celebration of Black culture and the contribution that Black men and women have made to British society. The wide-reaching event is also marked in the US in February.
The theme for 2024 is "reclaiming narratives", with campaigners pushing to recognise and correct erroneous stories that have been told throughout history. The theme emphasises “a commitment to correcting historical inaccuracies and showcasing the untold success stories and the full complexity of Black heritage,” Black History Month UK magazine said, via The Guardian.
Below, we recommend 10 important documentaries that deal with global issues of Black rights and racial struggles, highlighting important figures, events and movements to take note of.
Paid in Full: The Battle for Black Music
Paid In Full: The Battle for Black Music examines the historic injustice suffered by the music industry’s Black artists – and in particular the unfair distribution of profits to those who actually created culture-defining records. The BBC Two documentary features interviews with music legends including Chaka Khan, Nile Rodgers, Gloria Gaynor and Smokey Robinson.
Africa and Britain: A Forgotten History
In this BBC documentary, the award-winning historian David Olusoga explores the enduring relationship between Britain and people whose origins lie in Africa – from African Romans who guarded Hadrian’s Wall to the black trumpeter of the Tudor courts – and questions the whitewashing of Britain's history.
13th
If you haven't watched Ava DuVernay's 13th yet then make sure you do. Learn about the lasting effects of the 13th Amendment and how it led to America's mass incarceration problem, through archival footage and powerful interviews.
King in the Wilderness
King In The Wilderness portrays the final 18 months of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s life. The powerful documentary covers his role in the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and his assassination in 1968. Interviews with his friends from that period make clear that Dr. King was so much more than what you already know.
Dark Girls
Dark Girls explores the bias that Black women face all over the world, and looks at how countless women actively try to lighten their skin in the hope of a better life. The documentary also conversely examines how white women use tanning beds, Botox and plastic surgery to make them appear "more ethnic". Dark Girls will make you think of the male gaze from a different viewpoint.
I Am Not Your Negro
I Am Not Your Negro is based on James Baldwin's unfinished book Remember This House, which was to be a revolutionary personal account of the assassinations of his three close friends, Medgar Evers, Malcolm X and Martin Luther King, Jr. When Baldwin died in 1987, he left only 30 pages of his book. Using his words, filmmaker Raoul Peck creates an end to the book and connects the Civil Rights Movement to the #BlackLivesMatter movement.
The Black Power Mixtape
After finding a 30-year-old film canister with anti-war and Black Power movement footage from the Sixties and Seventies, filmmaker Goran Hugo Olsson had to tell the story. Notable figures like Angela Davis and Eldridge Cleaver appear in the archival films and show how far we've come – and how far we still need to go.
Paris is Burning
Paris is Burning is an intimate portrait of 1980s Harlem drag balls: a world of fierce competition, sustenance and survival. The documentary touches on issues of racism and poverty, with interviews from famed drag queens, including Willi Ninja, Pepper LaBeija and Dorian Corey.
Whose Streets?
Whose Streets? is an account from the people who experienced the Ferguson protests, following the killing of 18-year-old Michael Brown, who was shot by a police officer. The event sparked the community to fight back and started a global movement.
Let The Fire Burn
In 1985, the Philadelphia police dropped military-grade explosives onto an inner city house occupied by members of MOVE, a controversial radical urban group. It was only later discovered that authorities decided to “...let the fire burn”. This resulted in the tragic deaths of 11 people including five children, and the destruction of 61 homes.
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