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Top 10 Lists February 6, 2024

10 Powerful Movies That Honor Black History

Cynthia Erivo stars as Harriet Tubman in HARRIET, a Focus Features release. Credit: Glen Wilson / Focus Features
Cynthia Erivo stars as Harriet Tubman in HARRIET, a Focus Features release.
Credit: Glen Wilson / Focus Features

10 Powerful Movies To Honor Black History Month

By Movieguide® Contributor

Black History Month is celebrated every February to highlight achievements and the rich history of African Americans. It’s a time to honor heroes, reflect on our nation’s history and be inspired by their many contributions. From the Civil Rights Movement to advances in science to the world of sports, this curated list contains stories of people who have made a mark on the fabric of America and the world. Some films contain scenes that may be scary for young children, so please use caution.

1

42

Discernment Drama · PG-13

42 tells what happens when the Brooklyn Dodgers baseball team signed the first black player in the Major Leagues, Jackie Robinson, in 1947. Led by his Christian faith and the prospect of more money, Dodgers General Manager Branch Rickey has long wanted…

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2

HARRIET

Discernment Drama/Historical Drama · PG-13

HARRIET is the powerful and entertaining true story about a slave in the south before Civil War named “Minty” became Harriet Tubman, the woman who saved hundreds of slaves and brought them to freedom. Harriet is married to a free man, and…

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3

SELMA

Caution Drama · PG-13

SELMA is a powerful movie about the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s 1965 march on Montgomery, Alabama for voting rights for African Americans. The 1964 Civil Rights Act outlawed segregation in the United States. When a woman tries to register to vote…

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4

JUST MERCY

Caution Drama · PG-13

JUST MERCY takes place in Monroeville, Alabama, where an African-American lawyer out of Harvard Law makes it his mission to help those who can’t help themselves. Bryan Stevenson pairs up with a local advocate, and together they begin the Equal Justice Initiative.…

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5

HIDDEN FIGURES

Discernment Drama/Biopic · PG

HIDDEN FIGURES is an engaging, uplifting salute to three African-American women who contribute to the NASA program during the 1960s Space Race with Russia. The story centers on Katherine Johnson. A brilliant mathematician, Katherine proves herself a critical addition to the Space…

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6

GLORY

Caution R

With a really good 1860's look, GLORY is a biblical moral lesson about overcoming racism through reconciliation, not rebellion or revenge, set in the context of history that we all need to see. GLORY is a great film for mature, discerning Christians.

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7

REMEMBER THE TITANS

Family Drama · PG

Denzel Washington stars as Herman Boone in REMEMBER THE TITANS. Boone’s a black coach given the head coaching position at a formerly all-white school due to forced integration. Met with disdain, anger and a divided football team of racial foes, Coach Boone…

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8

TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD

Family Drama · NR

The 1963 classic movie TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD tells the story from the point of view of a young girl nicknamed Scout. The setting is a dusty Southern town during the Depression. Scout and her brother, Jim, call their father Atticus. Their…

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9

THE BOY WHO HARNESSED THE WIND

Family Drama · NR

THE BOY WHO HARNESSED THE WIND chronicles the true story of William Kamkwamba, a plucky teenage boy, who dramatically changes his African village forever by harnessing wind power to irrigate crops. William’s MacGyver-like ingenuity saves the agrarian culture from starvation during the…

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10

AKEELAH AND THE BEE

Family Drama · PG

AKEELAH AND THE BEE is an inspiring, entertaining drama. Eleven-year-old Akeelah Anderson feels like she doesn't fit with her classmates at her middle school in a poor African-American section of Los Angeles. Akeelah's classmates make fun of her intelligence, especially her spelling…

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