Every family should observe Black History Month and movies like these are a good way to begin discussions and further study. Start with “Selma,” the brilliant film now in theaters, about Dr. Martin Luther King and the march for voting rights. Scholastic has some wonderful DVDs for the whole family.
1. Glory The true story of the US Civil War’s first all-black volunteer company, fighting prejudices of their own Union army and battling the Confederates, with brilliant performances by Denzel Washington (who won an Oscar), Morgan Freeman, and Matthew Broderick as the white officer who truly believed all men were equal.
2. Something the Lord Made The obstacles to education and professional advancement kept Vivien Thomas (Mos Def) from medical school, but he was a pioneer in heart surgery.
3. Roots Writer Alex Haley told the story of his own family going back to the capture of one of his ancestors from Africa to be sold into slavery in this historic miniseries.
4. Amistad A slave rebellion led to an historic Supreme Court case that addressed fundamental notions of personhood and inalienable rights.
5. With All Deliberate Speed This documentary about the Brown v. Board of Education case that transformed American schools and culture has interviews with lawyer Thurgood Marshall (who later became the first black Supreme Court justice) and others involved in the case.
6. Malcolm X Denzel Washington is mesmerizing in this story of the incendiary leader and his journey from complacency to activism to understanding.
7. Eyes on the Prize This PBS documentary covers the Civil Rights movement from the murder of Emmett Till to the march in Selma. There is also an excellent sequel.
8. The Rosa Parks Story Angela Bassett stars as the Civil Rights activist whose refusal to give up her seat on the bus electrified the nation.
9. The Loving Story The name of this history-making couple was really Loving. Their inter-racial marriage led the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn the laws against miscegenation in 1967. When the lawyers asked Mr. Loving what he wanted them to tell the Court, he said, “Tell them I love my wife.”
10. A Great Day in Harlem This documentary tells the story of photographer Art Kane’s 1958 iconic photograph of all of the great jazz musicians of the era.
Rosewood was eye-opening for me and lead to more research into the oppression of entire communities in the south. We still need a movie for the Tulsa Race Riot (we firebombed our own citizens from the air).
That’s an excellent addition, Colin, thanks. And you are right that so many more stories need to be told.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120036/
Rosewood was eye-opening for me and lead to more research into the oppression of entire communities in the south. We still need a movie for the Tulsa Race Riot (we firebombed our own citizens from the air).
That’s an excellent addition, Colin, thanks. And you are right that so many more stories need to be told.