Documentaries Celebrating Black Heroes
Documentaries Celebrating Black Heroes
The Power of Arts & Activism
As we continue our celebration of Black History Month, we focus on 10 engaging documentaries. These heroes demonstrate quite a range of issues and storytelling techniques, from racial issues and pathetic judicial systems to politics and Hollywood. Inequality is a consistent theme. So too is the talent and raw power of these artist-activists.
Music Talent
We all know about the power of music, and many of the docs in this Showcase demonstrate such influence. And while we can’t ignore the artists and the historical significance of the performances, it’s nice to just take a beat and connect emotionally. Titles connected to music include (each title links to a detail page where you can see where to watch the film, watch trailers and learn more):
The Black Power Mixtape 1967 - 1975
The Harlem Cultural Festival in 1969 from documentary Summer of Soul (Won Best Documentary Feature Oscar).
"We were constantly being attacked because we weren't, quote-unquote, 'Black enough,' " says Marilyn McCoo of The 5th Dimension.
If this quote sounds familiar, it was part of the Elvis Mitchell film (Is That Black Enough For You?!?) featured in the Cause Cinema Spotlight last week.
Writer Activists
Maya Angelou was an American memoirist, poet, and civil rights activist. She published seven autobiographies, three books of essays, and several books of poetry She is also credited with a list of plays, movies, and television shows spanning over 50 years. A terrific documentary is featured here:
James Baldwin's works helped to raise public awareness of racial and sexual oppression, as demonstrated in the doc below.
The next 3 titles share examples of racial injustice, from the maternal health system to the judicial and prison systems in America. We’ve made some progress, but have a long way to go. And yes, that’s an understatement.
These amazing documentaries have generated attention, and keep the conversations going. This is a positive thing. And for producers and organizations that support these social impact efforts, from Brave New Films and Array to the SIE Society, PlusMedia, and Impact Partners, we appreciate the work you do to keep the dialogue moving in the right direction.
If you missed last week’s Showcase of narrative movies, click here to see that collection.
To learn more about any of the titles above, with links on where to watch them, visit Cause Cinema. Each thumbnail on the site will take you to a page with all the relevant information and links to platforms to watch them.
Hi Jon, I watched all 10 trailers. In some, I felt people's fear, anger, and in some others their commitment to bring about some kind of justice, sometimes through laws, sometimes through documenting their experiences, and sometimes incorporating hatred and violence. I think most of these films are worth watching, if I had the time.
I can suggest a doc that is about racism in America, where the main character is a black musician, who has actually overcome fear, dissolved hatred, and prevented violence by coming up with a possible solution to the problem of racism in America.
It is called, "Accidental Courtesy" and I would like to hear your reaction to the film if you have the time to watch it.