Black History Month 2016

Be sure to take time during Black History month to watch movies the Civil Rights movement, (“Eyes on the Prize,” “Selma,” “Boycott”), and movies that are themselves a part of black history and film history (add to that list: “Killer of Sheep,” “Nothing But a Man,” “The Learning Tree,” “Bright Road,” and “Hollywood Shuffle”).  And there are many other good choices for exploring the history of race in America and the story of some of our greatest heroes.

We’re lucky to have a very good movie opening up this month that tells the true story of a very important figure in African-American history: Jesse Owens.  “Race,” starring Stephan James, opens on February 19, 2016, and it tells the story of one of the greatest athletes of all time.  As Hitler was trying to tell the world about Aryan superiority, Jesse Owens competed in the Berlin Olympics and provided the ultimate refutation with his brilliant achievements, winning the gold not only in the three events he registered for but in a fourth event where he was a last-minute substitute.

PBS has a great line-up of programs, including Misty Copeland’s “A Ballerina’s Tale,” American Masters tributes to Fats Domino and B.B. King, and the superb documentary, “The Black Panthers: Vanguard of the Revolution.”