Black History and Heritage Films
Movie Recommendations
| Feature films and television shows |
| Nonfiction films |
Feature Films and Television Shows
Akeelah and the Bee. PG. 2006. DVD Drama
Ali. R. 2001. DVD Drama
Almos' a Man. Not rated. 1976. DVD 791.4572 ALM TV
American Gangster. R. 2007. DVD Drama
Amistad. R. 1997. DVD Drama
Antwone Fisher. PG-13. 2002. DVD Drama
ATL. PG-13. 2006. DVD Drama
The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman. Not rated. 1974. DVD Drama
Baby Boy . R. 2001. DVD Drama
Barbershop. PG-13. 2002. DVD Comedy
Beloved. R. 1998. DVD Drama
Big Fella. Not rated. 1937. DVD Drama
Bird. R. 1988. DVD Drama
Black Orpheus. Not rated. 1959. DVD World (Portuguese)
The Blood of Jesus. Not rated. 1941. DVD 791.4308996 B
Bojangles. Not rated. 2001. DVD 791.4572 BOJ TV
Boycott. Not rated. 2001. DVD 791.4572 BOY TV
Boyz 'N the Hood. R. 1991. DVD Drama
Brother to Brother. Not rated. 2004. DVD Drama
The Brothers. R. 2001. DVD Comedy
Brown Sugar. PG-13. 2002. DVD Drama
Buffalo Soldiers. G. 1997. DVD 791.4572 BUF TV
Cabin in the Sky. Not rated. 1943. DVD Musical
Carmen Jones. Not rated. 1954. DVD Musical
The Caveman's Valentine. R. 2000. DVD Drama
Claudine. PG. 1974. DVD Drama
Coach Carter. PG-13. 2005. DVD Drama
The Color Purple. PG-13. 1985. DVD Drama
Coming to America. R. 1988. DVD Comedy
Cooley High. PG. 1975. DVD Comedy
Cora Unashamed. Not rated. 2000. DVD 791.4572 COR TV
Cornbread, Earl and Me. PG. 1974. DVD Drama
The Cosby Show. Not rated. 1984-1992. DVD 791.4572 COS TV
Crooklyn. PG-13. 1994. DVD Drama
Cry Freedom. PG. 1987. DVD Drama
Cry, the Beloved Country. PG-13. 1995. DVD Drama
Daughters of the Dust. Not rated. 1991. DVD Drama
Devil in a Blue Dress. R. 1995. DVD Drama
Diary of a Mad Black Woman. PG-13. 2005. DVD Comedy
Do the Right Thing. R. 1998. DVD Drama
Down in the Delta. PG-13. 1998. DVD Drama
Dreamgirls. PG-13. 2006. DVD Musical
The Emperor Jones. Not rated. 1933. DVD Drama
Eve's Bayou. R. 1997. DVD Drama
A Family Thing. PG-13. 1995. DVD Drama
Fires in the Mirror. Not rated. 1993. DVD 791.4572 FIR TV
The Five Heartbeats. R. 1991. DVD Drama
The Feast of All Saints. R. 2001. DVD 791.4572 FEA TV
For Colored Girls. R. 2010. DVD Drama and Blu-ray Drama
G. R. 2002. DVD Drama
Get on the Bus. R. 1996. DVD Drama
Ghosts of Mississippi. PG-13. 1996. DVD Drama
Glory. R. 1989. DVD Drama
Glory Road. PG. 2006. DVD Drama
Go Tell it to the Mountain. Not rated. 1984. DVD 791.4572 GO TV
The Gospel. PG. 2005. DVD Drama
The Great Debaters. PG-13. 2007. DVD Drama
The Great White Hope. PG. 1970. DVD Drama
The Green Pastures. Not rated. 1936. DVD Religious
Guess Who's Coming to Dinner. Not rated. 1967. DVD Drama
He Got Game. R. 1998. DVD Drama
The Help. PG-13. 2011. DVD Drama and Blu-ray Drama
Hoodlum. R. 1997. DVD Drama
How Stella Got Her Groove Back. R. 1998. DVD Comedy
The Hurricane. R. 1999. DVD Drama
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. Not rated. 1978. VHS Drama
Idlewild. R. 2006. DVD Musical
In the Heat of the Night. Not rated. 1967. DVD Drama
Introducing Dorothy Dandridge. R. 1999. DVD 791.4572 I TV
The Jackie Robinson Story. Not rated. 1950. DVD Drama
Jasper, Texas. R. 2003. DVD 791.4572 JAS TV
Jericho. Not rated. 1937. DVD Drama
The Josephine Baker Story. R. 1990. DVD 791.4572 JOS TV
Juke Joint. Not rated. 1947. DVD Drama
Jungle Fever. R. 1991. DVD Drama
Killer of Sheep. Not rated. 1977. DVD Drama
Krush Groove. R. 1985. DVD Drama
Lady Sings the Blues. R. 1972. DVD Drama
Lean on Me. PG-13. 1989. DVD Drama
The Learning Tree. PG. 1969. VHS Drama
A Lesson Before Dying. PG-13. 1999. DVD 791.4572 LES TV
Lilies of the Field. Not rated. 1963. DVD Drama
Little John. PG. 2002. DVD 791.4572 LIT TV
The Long Walk Home. PG. 1990. DVD Drama
Look Out Sister. Not rated. 1947. DVD Drama
Love & Basketball. PG-13. 2000. DVD Drama
Lumumba. Not rated. 2000. DVD World (French)
Mahogany. PG. 1975. DVD Drama
Malcolm X. PG-13. 1992. DVD Drama
Mama Flora's Family. Not rated. 1998. DVD 791.4572 MAM TV
The Middle Passage. Not rated. 2003. DVD 791.4572 MID TV
Miracle's Boys. Not rated. 2004. DVD 791.4572 MIR TV
Miss Evers' Boys. PG. 1997. DVD Drama
Mo' Better Blues. R. 1990. DVD Drama
Moon over Harlem. Not rated. 1939. DVD Drama
Native Son. PG. 1986. VHS 791.4572 N TV
Nothing But a Man. Not rated. 1964. DVD Drama
The Old Settler. Not rated. 2001. DVD 791.4572 OLD TV
Once Upon a Time When We Were Colored. PG. 1995. DVD Drama
Paul Robeson, Tribute to an Artist. Not rated. 1979. VHS Drama
Paradise in Harlem. Not rated. 1939. DVD Drama
The Piano Lesson. Not rated. 1995. DVD 791.4572 PIA TV
Pride. PG. 2007. DVD Drama
Princess Tam Tam. Not rated. 1935. DVD World (French)
The Proud Valley. Not rated. 1940. DVD Drama
Purlie Victorious. Not rated. 1963. DVD Comedy
The Pursuit of Happyness. PG-13. 2006. DVD Drama
Queen. Not rated. 1992. DVD 791.4572 QUE TV
A Rage in Harlem. R. 1991. DVD Drama
A Raisin in the Sun. Not rated. 1961. DVD Drama
A Raisin in the Sun. Not rated. 1989. VHS Drama
Redemption. Not rated. 2004. DVD 791.4572 RED
Roots. Not rated. 1977. DVD 791.4572 ROO
The Rosa Parks Story. 2002. DVD 791.4572 ROS TV
Rosewood. R. 1997. DVD Drama
'Round Midnight. R. 1986. DVD Drama
Ruby Bridges. Not rated. 1999. Youth DVD
Sanders of the River. Not rated. 1935. DVD Drama
Sarafina! PG-13. 1992. DVD Musical
The Scar of Shame. Not rated. 1926. VHS 791.4375 L
School Daze. R. 1988. DVD Comedy
Shaft. R. 1971. DVD Action/Adventure
Shaft. R. 2000. DVD Action/Adventure
The Simple Life of Noah Dearborn. PG. 1999. DVD 791.4572 SIM TV
Siren of the Tropics. Not rated. 1927. DVD World (French)
Sissle and Blake. Not rated. 1923. VHS 791.4375 L
A Soldier's Story. PG. 1984. DVD Drama
Song of Freedom. Not rated. 1936. DVD Drama
Sounder. PG. 2003. Youth DVD
Soul Food. R. 1997. DVD Drama
Soul Food (television series). Not rated. 2000-04. DVD 791.4572 SOU TV
Sparkle. PG. 1975. DVD Drama
Stormy Weather. Not rated. 1943. DVD Musical
Sucker Free City. R. 2004. DVD 791.4572 SUC TV
Their Eyes Were Watching God. Not rated. 2005. DVD 791.4572 THE TV
They Call Me Sirr. Not rated. 2001. DVD 791.4572 THE TV
Thurgood. TV-14. 2011. DVD 791.4572 THU TV
To Kill a Mockingbird. Not rated. 1962. DVD Drama
To Sir, With Love. Not rated. 1966. DVD Drama
The Tuskegee Airmen. PG-13. 1995. DVD Action/Adventure
Uncle Tom's Cabin. Not rated. 1982. DVD 812.3 A291.un
The Vernon Johns Story: The Road to Freedom. PG. 1994. DVD 791.4572 VER TV
Waiting to Exhale. R. 1995. DVD Drama
What's Love Got To Do With It. R. 1993. DVD Drama
Wilma. PG-13. 1977. DVD 791.4572 WIL TV
Within Our Gates. Not rated. 1919. VHS 791.4375
The Wiz. G. 1978. DVD Musical
A Woman Called Moses. Not rated. 1978. DVD 791.4572 WOM TV
The Women of Brewster Place. Not rated. 1989. DVD 791.4572 WOM TV
The Wood. R. 1999. DVD Comedy
Zora is My Name! Not rated. 1990. DVD 791.4572 ZOR TV
Zou Zou. Not rated. 1934. DVD World (French)
Nonfiction Films
Adjust Your Color: The Truth of Petey Greene. 2008. DVD 791.443 A
The African American Cinema I: Oscar Micheaux’s Within Our Gates.
1919.
VHS 791.4375
The African American Cinema II [videorecording] : The Scar of Shame (1926) and the early sound short Sissle and Blake (1923). VHS 791.4375 L
African American Lives. 2006. DVD 973.0496073 A
African American Lives 2. 2008. DVD 973.0496073 A
Africans in America: America's Journey Through Slavery. 1998. DVD 973.0496 A
Against the Odds: the Artists of the Harlem Renaissance. 1994. DVD 700.9471 A
Aida's Brothers & Sisters: Black Voices in Opera. 2000. DVD 782.1092 A
Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater: Beyond the Steps. 2007. DVD 792.8 A
American Revolution 2. 2007. DVD 977.311 A
Architects of Civil Rights. 2009. DVD 323.1196073 A
Barack Obama. 2008. DVD B 0121ba
Barack Obama: 2009 Inaugural Collection. 2009. DVD 973.932 B
Been Rich All My Life. 2006. DVD 792.80922 B
Black Entertainment in Film. 2007. DVD 791.4308996 B
Black History: A Retrospective. 2010. DVD 973.0496073 B
Black Indians: An American Story. 2000. DVD 303.482 B
Blues Masters: The Essential History of the Blues. 1993. DVD 781.643 B
By the People: the Election of Barack Obama. 2009. DVD 973.932092 B
Chuck Berry: Hail! Hail! Rock 'n' Roll. PG. 1987. DVD 781.66 BER
Classified X. 1998. DVD 791.4308996
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.: A Historical Perspective. 1994. DVD B K536dr
DuSable to Obama: Chicago’s Black Metropolis. 2010. DVD 301.45196 D
Eyes on the Prize: America's Civil Rights Movement. 1986 and 1990.
DVD
323.40973 W
Facing Ali. 2009. DVD 796.83092 F
4 Little Girls. 1997. DVD 364.1523 F and VHS 364.1523 F
Flyers in Search of a Dream. 1986. VHS 629.13092 F
For Love of Liberty. 2010. DVD 355.008996 F
Freedom Riders. 2010. DVD 323.1196073 F
Good Hair. 2009. DVD 646.724 G
A Great Day in Harlem. 1994. DVD 781.65 G
Half Past Autumn: The Life and Works of Gordon Parks. 1999. DVD 779 P252ha
Hellhounds on My Trail: The Afterlife of Robert Johnson. 1999. DVD B J6875he
Hoop Dreams. PG-13. 1994. DVD 796.323 H
I Have a Dream. 1986. DVD 323.092 M and VHS 323 I V-2419
I Have a Dream. 2004. DVD 323.092 I
If God is Willing and Da Creek Don’t Rise. 2010. DVD 976.355 I
Jesse Owens. 2012. DVD 796.42092 J
King: Go Beyond the Dream to Discover the Man. 2008. DVD 323.092 K
King, Montgomery to Memphis. 1970. VHS B K536ki
Legacy of a Dream: Martin Luther King, Jr. 1990. VHS 323 L V-1505
Let Freedom Sing: How Music Inspired the Civil Rights Movement. 2009.
DVD 323.1196073 L
Let the Church Say Amen. 2003. DVD 287.8753 L
Louie Bluie. 1985. DVD 781.643092 L
A Man Named Pearl. 1985. DVD 712.092 M
Mandela. 1995. DVD B M2712ma
Marian Anderson. 1991. VHS B A5485ma
Martin Luther King, Jr. 2004. DVD B K536ma
Martin Scorsese Presents the Blues. 2003. DVD 781.64309 M
Maya Angelou. 1996. VHS B A5846ma
Michael Jackson: Never Surrender. 2009. DVD 782.42166 J133mi
Mighty Times: The Children's March. 2005. DVD 323.1196073 M
A Moment in History: The Inauguration of Barack Obama. 2009. DVD 973.932 M
More Than a Game. 2008. DVD 796.32362 M
Movies of Color: Black Southern Cinema. 2002. DVD 791.4308996 M
Muhammad Ali: the Whole Story. 2001. DVD B A3981mu
The Murder of Emmett Till. 2003. DVD 364.1523 M
Neshoba: The Price of Freedom. 2011. DVD 973.0496073 N
Nightfighters. 1994. DVD 940.544 N
Obama: All Access: Barack Omama's Road to the White House. 2009.
DVD 973.932 O
On the Road Again: Down Home Blues, Jazz, Gospel and More.
1963.
VHS 781.643 O
Only the Strong Survive: Celebration of Soul. 2001. DVD 782.421643 O
Paul Robeson: Here I Stand. 1999. VHS B R6533pa
A Place Out of Time: the Bordentown School. 2009. DVD 370.8996073 P
Porgy and Bess. 2001. DVD 792.542 POR
President Barack Obama: The Man and His Journey. 2009. DVD B O121pr
The Quest for Freedom. 1992. VHS 920.073 H
Quilting in the African American Tradition. 2008. DVD 746.46 Q
The Rise and Fall of Jim Crow. 2002. DVD 973.0496073 R
Safe Harbor. 2003. DVD 973.7115 S
Satchmo, Louis Armstrong. 1989. VHS B A7368sa
Scandalize My Name: Stories from the Blacklist. 1999. DVD 973.921 S
Scottsboro: An American Tragedy. 2006. DVD 345.7302532 S
The Second American Revolution. 1984. VHS 909.82 W
Senator Obama Goes to Africa. 2007. DVD 916.04092 S
The 60’s. 2009. DVD 973.92 S
Slavery and the Making of America. 2005. DVD 973.0496073 S
Slavery by Another Name. 2005. DVD 305.896073 S
Small Steps, Big Strides. 1998. DVD 791.4308996 S
Soul Power. 2010. DVD 781.66079 S
The Speeches of Martin Luther King. 1988. VHS 815.008 S V-1875
The Spirit of Frederick Douglass. 2008. DVD B D7377sp
Three Mo’ Tenors: Live in Concert. 2001. DVD 782.87 THR
Standing in the Shadows of Motown. PG. 2002. DVD 781.643 FUN
The Story of Gospel Music. 1996. DVD 782.254 S
That's Black Entertainment. 1990. DVD 791.4308996 T
Thelonious Monk, Straight No Chaser. PG-13. 2001. DVD 781.65 T
Thurgood Marshall: Justice for All. 1995. DVD B M3696th
Tupac: Resurrection. R. 2004. DVD 782.421649 S5278.tu
Tupac VS. 2002. DVD B S5278tu
The Tuskegee Airmen. 2003. DVD 940.544 T
Ultimate Jordan. 2004. DVD 796.323092 ULT
Unchained Memories: Readings from the Slave Narratives. 2003. DVD 973.0496 U
The Underground Railroad. 1998. DVD 973.7115 U
Understanding African Art. 1998. DVD 709.6 U
Unforgiveable Blackness: The Rise and Fall of Jack Johnson. 2004. DVD 796.83092 U
The Untold Story of Emmett Louis Till. 2005. DVD 323.1196073 U
Viva Nelson Mandela: A Hero for All Seasons. 2009. DVD B M2712vi
Voices of Civil Rights. 2006. DVD 323.0922 V
The Voyage of La Amistad: A Quest for Freedom. 1998. DVD 326.0973 V
Wattstax. R. 1973. DVD 781.64409 W
What We Want, What We Believe, The Black Panther Party. 2006.
DVD
322.420973
W
When We Were Kings. 1996. DVD 796.83 W
Whispers of Angels. 2001. DVD 973.7115 W.
Wonders of the African World. 1998. DVD 960 W
Zora's Roots: The Life of Zora Neale Hurston. 2008. DVD B H9669zo