Rustin
Rustin stars Colman Domingo as Bayard Rustin, Dr. Martin Luther King’s trusted advisor. Rustin was instrumental in the civil rights movement,—but his contributions to Dr. King's campaign have been diminished due to his sexuality. As an openly gay Black man, Rustin was discredited by his peers, but his legacy lives on in this moving film.
You Don’t Know Me
You Don’t Know Me is a jaw-dropping mystery about racial justice and romance. The film follows Hero, a young Black man who is on trial for murder. Though all the evidence points to him as the killer, Hero stands by his innocence—and uses his closing argument to recall an affair that might piece the whole case together.
The Last Dance
The Last Dance might just be one of the greatest sports documentaries ever made. Focusing on Michael Jordan, the docuseries takes viewers back to 1997—when the Chicago Bulls won their sixth NBA championship The series features exclusive footage from the squad's 1997-98 season, in addition to chronicling Jordan's rise to fame from a talented high school athlete into an international superstar.
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Trial 4
Trial 4 is a gripping documentary based on a true story. In 1993, a teenager named Sean K. Ellis was charged with the murder of a police officer in Boston. Ellis's trial gained national attention when his legal team exposed police misconduct within the judicial system and questioned the prison industrial complex.
From Scratch
From Scratch is a TV adaptation of Tembi Locke’s best-selling memoir. The Netflix film follows Amahle “Amy” Wheeler, a young Black woman who moves to Italy for a study abroad program. During her stay, she falls for a Sicilian chef, and together, they face an unexpected health crisis that brings their family and cultures together.
We Are: The Brooklyn Saints
We Are the Brooklyn Saints is a feel-good story about a community sports organization. This docuseries follows an inner-city youth football team based in Brooklyn, New York. Each episode highlights the rambunctious players, their loving parents, and their coaches as they train for a new season.
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Seven Seconds
Seven Seconds tells the story of Brenton Butler, a 15-year-old Black boy who is killed in a hit-and-run incident with a police officer. When it’s revealed that the cop was white, Butler’s death divides Jersey City. Some residents side with the Butler family, while others side with the police department, resulting in fervent racial tension.
Passing
Passing is a film adapted from Nella Larsen’s novel of the same name. Set in 1920s New York, the film follows two friends, Irene (Tessa Thompson) and Clare (Ruth Negga), who unexpectedly run into each other. When they reconnect, Irene realizes that Clare, a light-skinned Black woman, has spent her adult life passing as white.
Concrete Cowboy
Inspired by the real Black cowboys of North Philadelphia, Concrete Cowboy follows a teen, Sefer, who’s sent to live with his father for the summer. During his stay, he meets a group of city-cowboys who change the trajectory of his life.
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She’s Gotta Have It
She’s Gotta Have It is a television series based on Spike Lee’s film of the same name. The reimagined version stars DeWanda Wise as Lola Darling, a Brooklyn-based artist who’s trying to find love. With three eligible bachelors wrapped around her finger, Lola has to decide what she really wants in a relationship.
Blood & Water
Blood & Water is a mystery series set in Cape Town, South Africa. The show follows a teenage girl who tries to uncover a young swimmer's origin story. If her suspicions are correct, the star athlete might be her long-lost sister.
All American
This teen drama follows Spencer James, a talented football player living in Crenshaw, California. His life changes when a coach from Beverly Hills invites him to leave his neighborhood and play for his team. In order to do so, he moves in with the coach and his wealthy family. All American tracks James’s struggles to acclimate to his surroundings without forgetting where he came from.
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The Lovebirds
Leilani and Jibran, a young couple in New Orleans, are seconds away from breaking up when they become the key suspects in a murder-mystery. In order to survive—and prove their innocence—they have to put their relationship-drama behind them. (At least until the morning.)
A Jazzman's Blues
Tyler Perry’s A Jazzman’s Blues follows an unlikely courtship that threatens to destroy two families. Set in the deep south, the film follows a whirlwind romance that occurs alongside a mysterious murder investigation.
Homecoming: A Film By Beyoncé
I mean. C'mon.
One incredible Coachella performance spawned a whole documentary that traces the inspiration of the show stopping performance to its roots. For those in the know, the documentary might be more of a love letter to culture and inspiration. For those unaware, Homecoming is a must-watch music doc and a whole lesson in how Beyoncé draws her inspiration and communicates her passion.
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Da 5 Bloods
Spike Lee's Da 5 Bloods tells the story of four Black soldiers who served in Vietnam, who have returned to the country to find the remains of a fellow soldier they hope to finally lay to rest. Not only is it an oft-overlooked narrative in war epics, but it also features incredible performances from Delroy Lindo and the late Chadwick Boseman.
Ma Rainey's Black Bottom
Denzel Washington knew what he was doing when he tapped into August Wilson's playbook for Fences. In this, he serves as producer, while Viola Davis ascends to the lead role in a story about Jazz era Chicago. Playing the brazen Ma Rainey, the George C. Wolfe-directed film brings Wilson's stage play to life on screen and shines one hell of a light on Davis' acting chops.
Self Made: Inspired by the Life of Madam CJ Walker
The Netflix miniseries about Madam C. J. Walker may be a bit fictionalized (with some slight inaccuracies, thanks to creative liberty), but it cannot alter the fact that Walker was America's first documented self-made millionaire. Played to critical acclaim by Octavia Spencer, the story about the entrepreneur whose hair care products changed the course of the industry and the Black businesswomen who would follow her.
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When They See Us
Twenty years after five young men of color were wrongfully prosecuted when a female jogger was sexually assaulted in Central Park, Ava Duvernay’s miniseries examines the story of the Exonerated Five. With Jharrel Jerome’s Golden Globe-winning performance, When They See Us shows exactly how the flaws—and racism inherent—in our criminal justice system can keep someone wrongfully incarcerated for decades.
13th
Before she told us America’s story of mass incarceration through the eyes of the Exonerated Five in When They See Us, Ava Durvernay took it on in 13th. Featuring interviews with Van Jones, Grover Norquist, and Lisa Graves, 13th compares our criminal justice system to American slavery—showing how for-profit systems have corrupted our jails, with corporations making money from the mass incarceration crisis.
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