Black Heritage Month 2021: Videos and Film

Black Feminist is a feature length documentary film surrounding the double edged sword of racial and gender oppression that black women face in America.

Henry Louis Gates, Jr. delves into the roots of two African-American guests, actor S. Epatha Merkerson and athlete and television personality Michael Strahan. Both discover unexpected stories that challenge assumptions about black history.

Baratunde Thurston explores the phenomenon of white Americans calling the police on black Americans who have committed the crimes of ... eating, walking or generally "living while black." In this profound, thought-provoking and often hilarious talk, he reveals the power of language to change stories of trauma into stories of healing -- while challenging us all to level up.

This is the story of Isaac Pope - an African-American centenarian, grandson of slaves, son of sharecroppers, and unassuming WWII veteran and unsung hero of the civil rights and workers' rights movements.

An intimate account of legendary U.S. Representative John Lewis’ life, legacy and more than 60 years of extraordinary activism. After Lewis petitioned Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to help integrate a segregated school in his hometown of Troy, Alabama, King sent “the boy from Troy” a round trip bus ticket to meet with him. From that meeting onward, Lewis became one of King’s closest allies.

This documentary pays tribute to the rich African American blues heritage of the largest city in Texas.

In the days since the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis police custody, there have been peaceful protests, violent clashes and persistent calls for justice. But there is a long history behind this particular shocking event. Professor Eddie S. Glaude Jr. is chair of the department of African American Studies at Princeton University, and he joins Amna Nawaz to discuss the broader context.

African American soldiers throughout the 19th and 20th Centuries faced discrimination and segregation, yet many still chose to fight for their country. This short film tells their story.

Black history taught in US schools is often watered-down, riddled with inaccuracies and stripped of its context and rich, full-bodied historical figures. Equipped with the real story of Rosa Parks, professor David Ikard highlights how making the realities of race more benign and digestible harms us all -- and emphasizes the power and importance of historical accuracy.

While I Breathe, I Hope is a feature documentary film that explores what it means to be young, Black, and Progressive in the American South through the experiences of South Carolina Politician Bakari Sellers.