Amazon’s Black Employee Network Recommended Films & TV Shows
Thought-provoking titles about Black culture, stories, and achievements
Educating ourselves about the stories, culture, and achievements of the Black community in the United States is a crucial step to gaining a better understanding of how we can help propel our country forward. We need to unlearn the biases we have developed over the years, and feel empowered to change our previous perceptions in order to become better allies to the Black community.
One of the most powerful ways to learn is through film and television, which is why we want to highlight movies and shows that will make you think, aid in your personal education, and create hope for what is possible.
We worked with Amazon’s Black Employee Network to curate a list of thought-provoking titles about Black history, culture, and people that can help you take steps towards educating yourself about why the Black Lives Matter movement is taking place. We wanted to focus on amplifying the voices of Black actors, producers, writers, and filmmakers who poured themselves into creating these stories. We admit that this is not an exhaustive list, but we wanted to give people a place to start, and inspire those to keep searching for educational resources.
Here are the 45 recommended documentaries, movies, and shows in alphabetical order. Please note that content may require a subscription to watch:
13th (Netflix) — A documentary that looks into the racial inequality in the United States and how prisons are disproportionately filled with Black inmates.
Ali (Prime Video) — Biography about the triumphs and controversies surrounding boxing legend Muhammad Ali from 1964–1974.
America to Me (Prime Video) — Documentary that looks at one of Chicago’s most progressive public schools.
American Son (Netflix) — An estranged bi-racial couple comes together to figure out what happened to their missing teenage son.
Answering the Call (Prime Video) — Documentary about the attacks on protesters in the march from Selma to Montgomery, and explores the current voter suppression in the United States.
Becoming (Netflix) — An intimate documentary that looks at the life of former First Lady, Michelle Obama.
BET Twenties (BET) — A series that focuses on a queer Black woman named Hattie and her two best friends.
Betty: They Say I’m Different (Prime Video) — Documentary about the Funk Queen, Betty Davis, and how she changed the landscape for female artists in America.
Black America Since MLK: And Still I Rise (Prime Video) — Documentary that tells the story of the triumphs, struggles, and controversy of the last fifty years in Black History.
Black Earth Rising (Netflix) — Series about a survivor of the Rwandan genocide and her adoptive mother, an international lawyer, who takes on a case involving an African militia leader.
Crime + Punishment* (Hulu) — Documentary about a group of NYPD officers who work to expose the illegal quota practices in police departments.
Dear White People (Netflix) — A series that follows a group of Black students at a predominantly white Ivy League college who attempt to navigate discrimination and more.
Fruitvale Station (Prime Video) — A true story about Oscar Grant III, a 22-year old Bay area resident who wakes up on the day of New Year’s Eve and sets out to get a head start on his resolutions, but encounters police officers at the Fruitvale BART station.
Hair Love — An animated short film about a father who helps do his daughter’s hair for the first time.
Higher Learning (Prime Video) — A group of students arrive at Columbus University and are faced with racism in their campus life.
If Beale Street Could Talk* (Hulu) — A young woman sets out to prove that her childhood friend and partner is innocent of a crime that he did not commit.
Just Mercy (Prime Video) — Story about the world-renowned civil rights attorney, Bryan Stevenson, and his work to free a death row prisoner who was falsely accused.
Ken Burns: The Central Park 5 (Prime Video) — Documentary that covers the story of a group of five Black and Latino teenagers who were falsely accused of attacking a white woman in Central Park.
King In The Wilderness* (Hulu) — A documentary that looks at the final years in the life of Martin Luther King Jr.
LA 92 (Netflix) — A documentary detailing the Rodney King trial which sparked days of protests, violence, and looting in Los Angeles.
Last Black Man in San Francisco (Prime Video) — Jimmie Fails IV is a Back man who grew up in San Francisco, but was pushed out of the city due to a number of circumstances. When he returns, he experiences racism and oppression in the city.
Let It Fall: Los Angeles 1982–1992 (Netflix) — An exploration of the culture in Los Angeles leading up to the uprising that occurred after the Rodney King trials.
Lion Heart (Netflix) — A documentary about one man’s work to help save endangered lions and conflicts between humans and wildlife. It highlights the challenges that the Masai people face, and threats to wildlife.
Night Catches Us (Tubi) — A young man returns to his race-torn hometown of Philadelphia during the Black Power Movement.
Olympic Pride, American Prejudice (IMDb TV) — Documentary about the 18 Black athletes that participated in the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin.
Queen Sono (Netflix) — A series about a female spy who dedicates her life to protecting the entire continent of Africa and working to solve the assassination of her mother, who was a political activist.
Rigged: The Voter Suppression Playbook (IMDb TV) — Documentary about how certain right-wing groups have worked with some states to make it harder for minority groups and young people to vote.
Second Coming (Tubi, Pluto TV) — This drama focuses on the daily struggles of a Black family living in London.
Selma (Prime Video) — The story of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s work to secure equal voting rights in a march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama in 1965.
Self Made (Netflix) — A series about the inspiring story of Madam C.J. Walker, an African American woman who built a haircare empire.
Seven Seconds (Netflix) — Series that follows the story of an African American boy who is injured by a cop in Jersey City and the tensions that build after the incident.
She Did That (Prime Video) — Series based off Renae Bluitt’s In Her Shoes blog that gives viewers a look into the lives of four Black women who are working to raise the glass ceiling for future generations.
Teach Us All (Netflix) — Documentary about the desegregation of schools and the educational inequality that still remains today.
The African Americans: Many Rivers to Cross (Prime Video) — A docu-series about the history of the African-American people.
The Black Panthers: Vanguard of the Revolution (Prime Video) — Documentary about the rise and fall of the Black Panther Party.
The Black Power Mixtape (Sling TV) — Documentary shot by Swedish journalists that highlight the Black Power Movement in the United States.
The Force (Prime Video) — Documentary about an urban police department trying to rebuild trust with the residents of their city.
The Harlem Hellfighters Great War (IMDb TV) — A documentary that tells the story of the 15th regiment of the New York National Guard, nicknamed the Harlem Hellfighters, that was made up of Black soldiers. They want on to become the most decorated unit of World War I.
The Hate U Give (Prime Video) — Starr attends a predominantly white, affluent prep school but lives in a poor, Black neighborhood. She witnesses her best friend being shot by the police and feels pressures from all sides of the community, and must find her voice to stand up for what’s right.
The House I live In (Tubi) — A documentary that dives into America’s criminal justice system and the human rights implications of drug policy in the United States.
The Loving Story* (Tubi, Hulu) — Documentary that follows the life of the Loving couple, a bi-racial couple who take a stand for civil rights and racial justice.
The Talk: Race in America (Prime Video) — A documentary about “The Talk” that many Black families have with their children about what to do if they are ever stopped by police.
TV in Black: The First Fifty Years (Prime Video) — Documentary about how Black actors on television changed American culture.
When They See Us (Netflix) — A series that looks at the lives of the Central Park 5, from the time they were first questioned through their exoneration years later.
Whose Streets?* (Hulu) — Documentary about how the police killing of Michael Brown sparked a community to fight back and begin a global movement.
Watching these titles is a positive step toward educating yourself about systemic racism in the United States. We encourage you to keep learning, keep sharing, and keep fighting for what’s right.
*The content on Hulu is always being refreshed and we recommend checking their Black Stories page for a list of current titles.
Amazon stands in solidarity with our Black employees, customers, and communities, and are committed to helping build a country and a world where everyone can live with dignity and free from fear. As part of that effort, Amazon will donate a total of $10 million to organizations that are working to bring about social justice and improve the lives of Black and African Americans. For more information, please visit the Amazon Day One blog.
