Films for Black History Month

In celebration of Black History Month, we are highlighting a selection of award-winning independent documentaries that uplift Black voices and center stories about empowerment and resistance. These films are available through GOOD DOCS in a variety of streaming and purchase options for schools, non-profits, community organizations, libraries, and corporations. We hope you will utilize these important educational resources year-round to spark critical dialogue in your community or organization! Click here for a full list of African American & Africana Studies films.

AMERICAN JUSTICE ON TRIAL: PEOPLE v. NEWTON tells the forgotten story of the death penalty case that put racism on trial in a U.S. courtroom in the fall of 1968. Huey P. Newton, Black Panther Party co-founder, was accused of killing a white policeman and wounding another after a predawn car stop in Oakland.

BEING BEBE: THE BEBE ZAHARA BENET DOCUMENTARY tells the story of Marshall Ngwa, a Cameroonian artist whose identity hinges on the complicated success of his drag persona, BeBe Zahara Benet. Grounded by Marshall’s own present-day narration, the film features 15 years of vérité, interviews, and performances

black enuf* follows a Queer oddball seeks approval from Black peers despite a serious lack of Hip-Hop credentials and a family that ‘talks white’ 

CLARISSA'S BATTLE follows single mother and activist Clarissa Doutherd as she works tirelessly to build a powerful coalition. The coalition’s goal is to make local, state and national leaders understand a desperate need shared by families, parents and children across the country, from low-income to middle. 

UPROOTED is a feature-length documentary celebrating the African history, lineage, and future progressions of jazz dance. This groundbreaking documentary goes back to the roots in Africa and follows the evolution of this incredible dance form through every single decade and genre.

WE HAVE REACHED THE MOMENT follows Vic’s journey as he tries to explain to his climate-denying father the impacts of the climate crisis on their own disenfranchised communities.

ALWAYS IN SEASON explores the lingering impact of more than a century of lynching African Americans and connects this form of historic racial terrorism to racial violence today

RIVER CITY DRUMBEAT chronicles generations of African American mentors in Louisville, Kentucky’s West End neighborhood and their work to empower children and teens through creative expression.