Stacker's 50 Movies That Address the History of Racism in America

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Created by Fergenaprido.

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WRITTEN BY ELONA NEAL JANUARY 23, 2021

Movies give us perspective and allow us to watch certain events play out in front of our eyes. They can be educational and entertaining, making proper representation a significant factor in filmmaking. Black representation in Hollywood was almost nonexistent in the early 20th century, and when images of African Americans were shown, they were given negative stereotypes and criticized with racist imagery and oppression.

Years of systematic racism riddle the Black community today, but it was even more blatant back then. Young Black children around the country would turn on the television to a lack of positive images outside of racial stereotypes. As the years went on, Black representation slowly but surely began to make its way through the airwaves, and it started to educate people on the realities of Black lives as many Black filmmakers, actors, and writers created a new cycle of Black cinema with a variety of genres.

Black films have become a staple in the Black community, leaving long-lasting impacts on the culture for years to come. Black artistry continues to rise in theaters and on television as the industry learns to cater to different skin types, film angles, genre diversities, and plot lines within Black culture.

Stacker extensively researched the history of Black filmmaking and Black lives captured on screen in both fiction features and documentaries, and compiled a list of 50 diverse films that address the history of racism in America in one way or the other using IMDb data as of June 3, 2020. To amplify Black voices and firsthand experience, the overwhelming majority of the films on this list are made by Black filmmakers. The films are organized chronologically.

Check out these stories that shine a light on Black voices throughout cinema.

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  1. 1 new

    Within Our Gates

    1920, in 7 top lists Check
  2. 2 new

    Shadows

    1958, in 12 top lists Check
  3. 3 new

    A Raisin in the Sun

    1961, in 4 top lists Check
  4. 4 new

    Guess Who's Coming to Dinner

    1967, in 7 top lists Check
  5. 5 new

    In the Heat of the Night

    1967, in 17 top lists Check
  6. 6 new

    Symbiopsychotaxiplasm: Take One

    1968, in 7 top lists Check
  7. 7 new

    La permission

    1967 — a.k.a. The Story of a Three-Day Pass, in 1 top list Check
  8. 8 new

    The Learning Tree

    1969, in 4 top lists Check
  9. 9 new

    Cotton Comes to Harlem

    1970, in 1 top list Check
  10. 10 new

    Sounder

    1972, in 3 top lists Check
  11. 11 new

    The Spook Who Sat by the Door

    1973, in 2 top lists Check
  12. 12 new

    Ganja & Hess

    1973 — a.k.a. Black Evil, in 3 top lists Check
  13. 13 new

    Killer of Sheep

    1978, in 14 top lists Check
  14. 14 new

    Losing Ground

    1982, in 4 top lists Check
  15. 15 new

    She's Gotta Have It

    1986, in 6 top lists Check
  16. 16 new

    Tongues Untied

    1989, in 11 top lists Check
  17. 17 new

    Do the Right Thing

    1989, in 25 top lists Check
  18. 18 new

    Daughters of the Dust

    1991, in 9 top lists Check
  19. 19 new

    Boyz n the Hood

    1991, in 9 top lists Check
  20. 20 new

    Just Another Girl on the I.R.T.

    1992, in 1 top list Check
  21. 21 new

    Malcolm X

    1992, in 7 top lists Check
  22. 22 new

    Hoop Dreams

    1994, in 15 top lists Check
  23. 23 new

    Devil in a Blue Dress

    1995, in 4 top lists Check
  24. 24 new

    The Watermelon Woman

    1996, in 7 top lists Check
  25. 25 new

    Down in the Delta

    1998, in 0 top lists Check
  26. 26 new

    Bamboozled

    2000, in 4 top lists Check
  27. 27 new

    How to Eat Your Watermelon in White Company...

    2005, in 0 top lists Check
  28. 28 new

    The Untold Story of Emmett Louis Till

    2005, in 0 top lists Check
  29. 29 new

    The Great Debaters

    2007, in 0 top lists Check
  30. 30 new

    Trouble the Water

    2008, in 0 top lists Check
  31. 31 new

    The Black Power Mixtape 1967-1975

    2011, in 1 top list Check
  32. 32 new

    12 Years a Slave

    2013, in 22 top lists Check
  33. 33 new

    Fruitvale Station

    2013, in 4 top lists Check
  34. 34 new

    Dear White People

    2014, in 0 top lists Check
  35. 35 new

    Selma

    2014, in 7 top lists Check
  36. 36 new

    Rat Film

    2016, in 0 top lists Check
  37. 37 new

    I Am Not Your Negro

    2016, in 6 top lists Check
  38. 38 new

    O.J.: Made in America

    2016, in 7 top lists Check
  39. 39 new

    Loving

    2016, in 0 top lists Check
  40. 40 new

    13th

    2016, in 3 top lists Check
  41. 41 new

    Get Out

    2017, in 16 top lists Check
  42. 42 new

    Did You Wonder Who Fired the Gun?

    2017, in 0 top lists
    Check
  43. 43 new

    Strong Island

    2017, in 1 top list
    Check
  44. 44 new

    The Force

    2017, in 0 top lists
    Check
  45. 45 new

    Mudbound

    2017, in 2 top lists
    Check
  46. 46 new

    Hale County This Morning, This Evening

    2018, in 1 top list
    Check
  47. 47 new

    If Beale Street Could Talk

    2018, in 1 top list
    Check
  48. 48 new

    Sorry to Bother You

    2018, in 4 top lists
    Check
  49. 49 new

    The Hate U Give

    2018, in 0 top lists
    Check
  50. 50 new

    Just Mercy

    2019, in 0 top lists
    Check
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Last updated on Feb 12, 2021; source