15 Essential Black Shows and Movies to Watch for Black History Month

February is Black History Month and with streaming services aplenty there's more opportunity than ever to watch content created by and about Black people and the Black experience, in all its different shades and multitudes. Whether you're looking for a straight-forward, informative documentary, a film about historic events, or groundbreaking TV shows that showcase Black characters as fully-fleshed out, three-dimensional characters, there's so much to watch as you celebrate this month (or if you want to continue the celebration all year.) 

The only downside is that with so much content, you've got to make a choice. Is tonight the night you tune into Black Panther or Luke Cage? Love & Basketball or The Photograph? There's a lot to consider before deciding on your next watch. Luckily, we've got you covered. Below are 12 shows from different genres about the Black experience that are perfect watches for Black History Month.

Looking for more recommendations of what to watch next? We have a ton of them! We also have hand-picked selections based on shows you already love.

Queen Sugar

Number of seasons: 4 (Season 5 premieres on Feb. 16 on OWN)
Watch if you're interested in: Stories about Black families, dramas with heart

The Bordelon family are at the center of this Louisiana-set drama about what happens when estranged daughter Charley Bordelon-West (Dawn-Lyen Gardner) retreats home to escape a very public divorce, and purchases a sugar mill on her father's farm land. Her decision changes the lives of her family, bringing both prosperity and complications into their lives. Expect plenty of storylines about adultery, power and influence, police brutality, and the legacy of slavery in the show's four seasons. [Watch on Hulu | Trailer]

Watchmen

Number of seasons: 1 (though we hope for more)
Watch if you're interested in: Super-powered crime fighters, Black history in the U.S., the Blue Man group

Dr. Manhattan is back in this 2019 adaptation of the dark comic book series. But not in the way you think. The Damon Lindelof show stars Regina King and takes place in a futuristic, alternate version of Oklahoma where descendants of those impacted by the 1921 Greenwood Massacre are eligible for reparations and police wear masks to protect their identities. Despite being in a different timeline, one thing really connects the world of Watchmen to our own: the ever-present threat of racism, which takes on a similarly menacing face in this Emmy-winning series. [Watch on HBO Max | Trailer] 

One Night in Miami

Movie run time: 114 minutes
Watch if you're interested in: Civil rights heroes, bar jokes

Regina King makes her directorial debut with this adaptation of Kemp Powers' 2013 play. As the title suggests, the movie takes place during one night in Miami in 1964. It's on this night that Cassius Clay (Eli Goree), Jim Brown (Aldis Hodge), Sam Cooke (Leslie Odom Jr.), and Malcolm X (Kingsley Ben-Adir) meet to discuss the various roles they play in the current Civil Rights Movement. Their conversations, while fabricated, help viewers to better understand the real life Black heroes who paved the way for civil rights nearly 60 years ago. [Watch on Amazon Prime Video | Trailer]

Judas and the Black Messiah

Movie run time: 126 minutes
Watch if you're interested in: The Black Panther party, revolutionary movements

This biopic, directed by Shaka King and produced by Ryan Coogler, tells the true story of William O'Neal (LaKeith Stanfield), an FBI informant who infiltrated the Chicago chapter of the Black Panther Party and helped orchestrate the assassination of the party's chairman Fred Hampton (Daniel Kaluuya). The movie has already garnered critical acclaim, having been named one of the top 10 best films of 2020 by the National Board Review and has received lots of Oscar buzz to date. [Watch on HBO Max | Trailer] 

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks

Movie run time: 93 minutes
Watch if you're interested in: Stories about medical exploitation, Oprah

Henrietta Lacks (Reneé Elise Goldsberry), a Black mother of five, visited John Hopkins Hospital in 1951 after experiencing excessive vaginal bleeding. In October of 1951, she died. Before her death, doctors had extracted cells from her cancer-ridden cervix, planning to use them in the creation of future medical curatives. Today, Lacks' cells have aided in the development of countless medical studies, most recently the COVID-19 pandemic. This 2017 docudrama, starring Oprah Winfrey as Lacks' daughter Deborah, detailing her cells' impact on the contemporary world is based on Rebecca's Skloot's 2010 book of the same name.  [Watch on HBO Max | Trailer]

Soul

Movie run time: 107 minutes
For fans of: Cosmic journeys to self discovery, jazz

Joe Gardner (voiced by Jamie Foxx) has almost made it. Having shirked his dream to be a professional jazz musician for a more sensible career as a high school band teacher for years, he's more than ready when a famous singer asks him to play in her band one night. When an accidental fatal fall down a manhole boots him to the Great Before, a pre-existence cosmic space, Joe must find a way back to the world of the living in time for his big gig. It's an ambitious film from Pixar, featuring a Black lead for the first time and delving into topics about chasing your dreams, death, and the meaning of life. Couple this with a few fantastic jazz numbers and you've got a masterpiece on your hands. [Watch on Disney+ | Trailer]

Insecure

Number of seasons: 4 (Season 5 will be its last)
Watch if you're interested in: Awkward moments, Black women thriving

In Season 1 of HBO's comedy, Issa Dee (Issa Rae) is living in Los Angeles with her boyfriend of five years. It's clear their relationship has stagnated, but she stays with him anyway, believing they'll be able to work things out. And maybe they will be... but not if an old fling from Issa's past has anything to say about it. The show is hilarious, placing Black characters in compromising positions that force you to laugh just from the sheer awkwardness of it all. The only thing I'd change about the show is its run-time. Thirty minutes per episode is and never will be enough time to see if besties Molly and Issa can work things out. [Watch on HBO Max | Trailer]

Underground

Number of seasons: 2
Watch if you're interested in: Stories about the Underground Railroad, smart anachronistic music choices

WGN America's short-lived period drama, which was created by Misha Green (Lovecraft Country) and executive produced by John Legend, follows Noah (Aldis Hodge), a determined slave who leads a revolt on his Georgia plantation and escapes to freedom along with six other slaves. They travel by the Underground Railroad, facing harrowing dangers and the constant threat of capture. The show's 20 episodes feature some of the wildest moments in TV history -- the series opens with a slave on the run to Kanye West's "Black skinhead," setting the pace for the bold show. Needless to say, it's a series that'll keep you on your toes. [Watch on Hulu | Trailer]

Atlanta

Number of seasons: 2 (Seasons 3 & 4 have been announced)
Watch if you're interested in: Surprising surrealism, rappers with sick beats

This scripted series from the mind of Donald Glover is all types of weird. The premise follows Paper Boi (Brian Tyree Henry), an aspiring Atlanta rapper, and his cousin Earn (Glover) and friend Darius (LaKeith Stanfield) as they get up to all kinds of hijinks. The show is known for breaking the fourth wall and its absurdity, making it the perfect watch for those just looking for an eccentric comedy binge that also respects the Black experience of trying to make it in Atlanta. [Watch on Hulu | Trailer]

When They See Us

Number of seasons: 1 (it's a four-episode limited series)
Watch if you're interested in: True crime, Black justice

Ava DuVernay's scripted docudrama about the Central Park Five made headlines upon its release in 2019, with star Jharrel Jerome winning the Emmy for lead actor in a miniseries or movie. The series remains salient today, speaking to broader themes of corruption and violence against Black bodies. Be warned, the show's four episodes can be hard to watch at times, and the many challenges levied against the Five are heartbreaking. Still, the series remains an important part of Black history and an essential watch for the month. If you've already seen it and want more, check out Oprah Winfrey Presents: When They See Us Now, which is also available to watch on Netflix. [Watch on Netflix | Trailer]

 

Dear White People

Number of seasons: 3 (renewed for Season 4)
Watch if you're interested in: White fragility, stories about being Black at a PWI (predominantly white institution)

Students at Winchester University fall into three groups. The wealthy white elite, middle class white students, oh, and students of color. The fictional Ivy league lays the foundation for Justin Simien's satirical comedy about what it means to be the only cocoa pebble in a bowl or milk, or Black at a PWI. Simien takes inspiration from his 2014 film, but introduces new storylines and social issues for characters to contend with. Cultural bias, faux activism, "wokeness," and identity politics being chief among them. [Watch on Netflix | Trailer]

13th

Movie run time: 100 minutes
Watch if you're interested in: The prison industrial complex, social injustice

This groundbreaking documentary from Ava DuVernay goes deep, uncovering the truth about American prisons and the disproportionate incarceration of African Americans. Starting with the conception of the 13th Amendment that led to the end of slavery and taking viewers on a journey to present day, the documentary contextualizes the inequities of our prison system and what it means to be a prisoner. It's a sobering watch, but one that's well done and eye-opening. Perfect for history buffs hoping to learn more about how the vile legacy of slavery still manages to impact society today. [Watch on Netflix | Trailer]

All American

Number of Seasons: 3
Watch if you're interested in:High school drama, classism, and football

All American is inspired by the life of pro-footballer Spencer Paysinger, who transferred from Crenshaw High School to a school in Beverly Hills and then went on to the NFL. In the CW series, Daniel Ezra plays Spencer James, a talented receiver stuck between his hometown and a new life in Beverly Hills when Coach Billy Baker (Taye Diggs) recruits him to play for the ritzy team. All American might be a high school drama, but The CW show tackles heavy issues like Black Lives Matter, classism, and mental health in the Black community with grace and caring without scrimping on the relationship drama and rivalries that you love from shows about teenagers. Before All American, we hadn't seen a teenage drama on broadcast TV showcasing Black and Brown students and  acknowledging the tough world we live in, but also exhibiting joy and coming of age for themselves rather than lessons in race relations for white characters. The show, currently in its third season, gets better as it goes on. [Watch Seasons 1 and 2 on Netflix, Season 3 on The CW | Trailer]  -Megan Vick

I May Destroy You

Seasons: 1
Watch if you're interested in: Dynamic female characters, smart storytelling

Michaela Coel took her own experience with sexual assault and turned it into one of the most inspiring and heartbreaking series ever on TV. I May Destroy You is an unflinching look at how the trauma of sexual assault can live with survivors long after the event in question actually happens. It was heralded as one of the best series of 2020 and Michaela Coel cemented herself as a creator-to-watch with this seminal work. It is the definition of an essential watch, and you can join everyone in being flabbergasted at the Hollywood Foreign Press for snubbing it for this year's Golden Globe nominations. [Watch on HBO Max | Trailer]  -Megan Vick

Black Panther

Movie runtime: 135 minutes
Watch if you're interested in: Superheroes, relatable anti-heroes, amazing set design

The first live-action African superhero came to life and broke records in 2018 when Black Panther took the center stage of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Chadwick Boseman inspired millions with his powerful performance as T'Challa, the Wakandan prince and superhero who was forced to reconsider Wakanda's role on the world stage and as one of the richest nations in the world while staying mostly secret. Michael B. Jordan plays Killmonger, an orphaned Wakandan who has his own view on the country's responsibility in the modern weapons age and is willing to do whatever it takes to force Wakanda into the open. The battle between T'Challa and Killmonger brings up intriguing questions about Black power and how it should be yielded, while also being one of the most action-packed superhero films. [Watch on Disney+ | Trailer] -Megan Vick

Looking for more Black shows and movies to watch? We have a ton of recommendations, so head over to our recommendations page for more information.