Creatives can be mentors through their art. Enlightenment, understanding and empathy come in the form of books you and your children read, or perhaps a poignant documentary or film that helps fill in the gaps. Human storytelling is so powerful, chronicling lived experiences plays an essential part in history, and now plays a crucial part in us learning more about Black American History.

“There is no question that storytelling for black America is a way of saying I am here and I matter,” said author and journalist Andrea Collier.

“Recounting the stories told by marginalised members of the black community to get even the smallest glimpse of their historical and present-day struggles is one piece of an infinitely complex puzzle, but it is an imperative one.”

Below, we’ve chosen a starting selection of six key movies and documentaries which highlight the struggle, fight and history of black oppression. Watching, listening and learning is the key to knowing how to show up and stand in true solidarity.

When They See Us

Thirty years ago, five young black men – Antron McCray, Kevin Richardson, Yusef Salaam, Raymond Santana and Korey Wise – were convicted of the brutal rape and murder of a woman in New York’s Central Park. There was horror, outrage and an intense media coverage to try to find the attacker. Or, in this case, attackers. Known as the Central Park Five, media reports apparently described them as a "wolf pack," who had committed muggings prior to being convicted of the subsequent attack. They always denied committing the crime. This four-part series based on the true events from acclaimed director Ava DuVernay, tells their emotional, challenging and important stories over two decades. Simply unforgettable

When They See Us is available on Netflix

13th

First ratified in 1865, the 13th Amendment prohibits slavery in the United States, but for one significant loophole, “except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted”. Ava DuVernay’s seminal 2016 documentary takes this loophole as its starting point – tracing the many ways it’s been hideously exploited from the Civil War onwards, to maintain a racial hierarchy. This is a call-to-action as well as an eye-opener; DuVernay doubles down, educating the viewers while inspiring them to act.
A vital introduction to the racially charged development of the US prison system, it must be seen.

13th is available on Netflix

The Death and Life of Marsha P Johnson

This chronicles the journey of Marsha P. Johnson, a trans woman, LGBTQIA activist, and general icon. This documentary primarily focuses on her influence and activism, as well as the mysterious circumstances that led to her death. Victoria Cruz of the New York City Anti-Violence Project explores the case, tracking down retired detectives and following potential leads, cumulating in an investigation that raises red flags about crime, discrimination and police apathy. Above all, it is a reminder that her life should not be forgotten.

The Death and Life of Marsha P Johnson is available on Netflix

I Am Not Your Negro

This 2016 documentary based on American novelist, James Baldwin’s, unfinished manuscript of Remember This House, was to be a tribute to late influential civil rights leaders he considered friends. Baldwin used his extraordinary writing to tackle racism and racial injustice, and director Raoul Peck brings his urgent ideas and words alive on screen. Narrated beautifully by Samuel L. Jackson, it chronicles Baldwin’s life through the civil-rights movement, focusing on his personal relationship to Medgar Evers, Malcolm X, and Martin Luther King, Jr, all of whom were assassinated within five years of each other.
Remarkable and essential viewing.

I Am Not Your Negro is available to rent on YouTube/iTunes

12 Years A Slave

This film strikes a chord with every watch. Based on Solomon Northup's memoirs of being born a free man then sold into slavery in 1841, this Steve McQueen drama is brutal and unflinching in its depiction of slavery, making the viewer feel as if they are witnessing its horrors for the first time. Detailing the darkest recesses of 19th-century America, it’s not an easy watch and nor should it be. It’s an important story, told with compassion and should be seen by everyone.

12 Years a Slave is available on Amazon Prime

If Beale Street Could Talk

In early 1970s Harlem, daughter and wife-to-be Tish (played by Regina King in an Oscar-winning role) vividly recalls the passion, respect and trust that have connected her and her artist fiancé Alonzo Hunt, who goes by the nickname Fonny. Friends since childhood, the devoted couple dream of a future together, but their plans are derailed when Fonny is arrested following a wrongful accusation that he assaulted a white woman. One of the best films of 2019, it is a masterpiece, based on James Baldwin’s 1974 novel of the same name.

If Beale Street Could Talk is available on Amazon Prime.

Also see our suggested reading lists for kids/teens and adults in our current series designed for learning more about black voices, culture and struggle…