In the list featured below, Black excellence resides in every single work. From documentaries detailing aspects of Black history in America, to modern stories highlighting what it means to live as a Black American, here is a list of films less well-known than others more commonly noted for Black History Month.

The Black Power Mixtape
This free Youtube documentary explores the complexities behind the Black power movement from 1967 to 1975. Its creation began when filmmaker Göran Olsson came across the footage, which was originally intended for Swedish Television and shot by Swedish journalists in the 1960s and 1970s, in a basement below the Swedish National Broadcasting Company. Olsson saw it as his duty to produce and release his findings to the public. The Black Power Mixtape is intense and eye opening. It features perspectives and opinions that will captivate non-Black viewers and inspire them to rethink history. You can rent this film on Youtube and iTunes, or it is free through Sling TV.

They’ve Gotta Have Us
This Netflix mini-series surrounds the timeline of Black representation in the film industry. From both sides of the lens,They’ve Gotta Have Us delves not only into the hardships and turning points for Black actors and creators in this industry, but also how they came to dominating it. It also features the perspective of many renowned Black actors and actresses, such as Laurence Fishburne, Diahann Carroll, and John Boyega. They’ve Gotta Have Us is streamable on Netflix.

I am Not Your Negro on Netflix
This documentary is the visual illustration of James Baldwin’s unfinished book which retells the lives of his close friends: Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, and Medgar Evans. It brings life to Baldwin’s enlightened perspective and thoughtful analysis on the race epidemics in America. This film is viewable on Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, and more.

Loving
Based on the true story of Richard and Mildred Loving, this romantic drama goes in depth into their interracial relationship that forever changed U.S. history. This film breathtakingly depicts their famous Supreme Court case Loving v. Virginia which ruled that laws could no longer ban interracial marriage, as they would violate the Equal Protection and Due Process Clauses of the Fourteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. “Loving” is free to stream on Netflix.

13th
The disproportionality of African Americans in the U.S. prison system, also known as mass incarceration, is highlighted and explored through this Netflix documentary’s commentary on Black History. The name 13th comes from the Thirteenth Amendment, which abolished slavery in 1865 but did not in-fact stop the oppression of Black people in America due to one particular loophole.

Fruitvale Station
This drama follows the true story of 22-year-old Oscar Grant, a Black Man who was killed as a result of police brutality in 2009 at the Fruitvale Bart station in Oakland, California. The epidemic of systematic racism has been embedded deep within every aspect of our society, Grant’s story is only one of many alike. It is intense and heartbreaking to watch, preferably for a more mature audience, but it brings viewers to the realization of how real his story still is now 10 years later with the Black Live Matter movement. Fruitvale Station is available to watch on Netflix and Amazon Prime Video.

Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
Southern Black Queen Ma Rainey was one of the first generation of blues singers to record her debut music. The title comes from Ma Rainey’s song of the same name that refers to a type of dance called Black Bottom. As illustrated in this cinematic masterpiece, tensions rise and die as the African-American singer must strive beyond the limitations placed upon her by racism and take on her title as the “Mother of Blues.” This film is produced by Denzel Curry and has Viola Davis as Ma Rainey, along with other roles played by Chadwick Boseman, Glynn Turman, and Coleman Domingo. This movie is for a more mature audience and can be streamed on Netflix.

The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind
This drama is based on the astounding true story of William Kamkwamba, a TEDx speaker from Malawi, Africa. The story follows a bright young 13-year-old boy who is faced with leaving his education behind when his parents can no longer afford the school fees. Alone with his creativity and innovation, he builds a windmill to help his village escape famine. The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind won the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Directing in a Motion Picture and is so earnest that it is nearly impossible to critique. A perfect watch for all ages, this drama inspires the message that anything is possible with perseverance. You can stream this film on Netflix.

Just Mercy
Based on the case detailed in the Harvard Graduate and infamous Lawyer Bryan Stevenson’s novel, “Just Mercy” follows the case of death row inmate Walter McMillian. As Stevenson discovers the evidence that proves McMillian’s innocence, tensions rise as it may not be enough to influence a court in the deep South. This film is not only painfully true in the sense that the story really took place, but also in the fact that many African American men on death row have been wrongfully convicted and never given the justice they deserved. It will make you cry, but is so worth it. Stream “Just Mercy” on Hulu and Amazon Prime Video.

All Day and a Night
This captivating motion picture artistically and colorfully represents growing up in the hood as Black male. After growing up immersed in violence, the young Jahkor Abraham ends up in the same prison as his father. Love, self-discovery, birth, and death are all themes within this film that further paint the picture of the plight faced by an immeasurable amount of Black people, especially men, In the U.S. today. Beautifully written and filmed, “All Day and a Night” is a must watch for high school students and up. Stream this movie on Netflix.

Harriet
Through the portrayal of the life of political activist and abolitionist Harriet Tubman, this film draws tears and food for thought as to the history of this country. Tubman is one of the most famous martyrs of the anti-slavery movement and was able to rescue and deliver many slaves to freedom. Her remarkable story is depicted so well that this film has won multiple awards and was even nominated for Golden Globes. Stream Harriet on Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, Youtube, and more.

Queen & Slim
In this steamy romantic drama, two young adults named Queen and Slim meet for their first date, but the tables turn when a racist cop pulls them over and begins to harass Slim. in Self-defense Slim takes the officer’s gun and shoots him. The couple then goes on the run and amidst exploring their feelings for one another, they become the world’s next biggest pillars of Black power in America. You can watch this film for free on Hulu and Amazon Prime Video.

Do the Right Thing
In Spike Lee’s 1989 throwback, violence erupts in the Bedford-Stuyvesant section of Brooklyn after the young “Buggin’ out” experiences racism at his local and infamous pizza joint. This film does a beautiful job of providing a closer look at the devaluation of African Americans and how they come together through culture to inspire change. Stream this movie for free on Hulu.