Classic Black Cinema
Explore the history of Black cinema with these classic films directed by and starring African Americans. This list also includes a few recent resources on the history of Black cinema for those who wish to learn more about the social, political and cultural context in which these films were first produced and distributed. (February 2022)
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Bebe's Kids
Based on the stand-up routine of late comic Robin Harris, this 1992 animated feature, directed by Black animator Bruce W. Smith remains one of the few animated films to feature a primarily black cast and has become a cult hit.
Format: DVD
Availability: Available
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Black Film Archive
Organized by decade, Black Film Archive showcases currently streaming Black films from 1915 to 1979. As creator Maya S. Cade writes on the site, "Black Film Archive celebrates the rich, abundant history of Black cinema. We are an evolving archive dedicated to making historically and culturally significant films made from 1915 to 1979 about Black people accessible through a streaming guide with cultural context."
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Boyz N the Hood
John Singleton's feature film debut about the lives of three young Black men growing up in South Central L.A. in the early 1990s remains a classic of modern Black cinema and features breakout performances from Ice Cube & Cuba Gooding Jr.
Format: DVD
Availability: Available
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Colorization
Journalist Haygood's sweeping history of Black cinema begins with D.W. Griffith's The Birth of a Nation, and explores everything following, from "race films" of the early 20th century to blaxploitation to Black Panther and beyond.
Format: Book
Availability: Available
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Cooley High
This 1975 coming-of-age comedy-drama from director Michael Schultz has been viewed by some critics as an important precursor to the films of John Singleton and Spike Lee, and was inducted into the National Film Registry in 2021.
Format: DVD
Availability: Available
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Daughters of the Dust
Daughters of the Dust, the story of three generations of Gullah/Geechee women, was the first film by a Black woman director to gain widespread release in the US. Dash's lush, vivid imagery was a key visual inspiration for Beyoncé's Lemonade.
Format: Streaming Video
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Do the Right Thing
A critical and commercial success, Spike Lee's 1989 film about simmering tensions between Black and Italian Americans in a Brooklyn neighborhood remains one of the director's most enduring works.
Format: DVD
Availability: Available
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Eve's Bayou
Director Kasi Lemmons' 1997 directorial debut was widely acclaimed for its strong performances from lead actors Samuel Jackson (Louis Batiste), Debbi Morgan (Mozelle Batiste Delacroix), and Jurnee Smollett (Young Eve Batiste).
Format: DVD
Availability: All copies in use
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Hollywood Black
Film historian Bogle presents a decade by decade history of Black actors, films, and directors starting with the silent film era and leading up to the present day.
Format: Book
Availability: Available
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Hollywood Shuffle
This biting 1987 satire produced, co-written, directed by and starring Robert Townsend, skewers racial stereotypes that Black actors continue to confront in Hollywood and beyond.
Format: DVD
Availability: Available
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