In February we celebrate Black history and culture. Here is our list of Five Films by Black Creators to watch with your kids.
This cold and dreary month in the Mabelhood we find ourselves watching films with our kids. So this year we’ve committed to watching films by Black filmmakers, actors, and creators. Some of these are great stories honoring Black culture and historical significance, others are beautiful love stories, action/ adventure and award-winning feature films. We encourage you to check out our list, we promise you won’t be disappointed!
Plus, all of these selections are perfect to watch alongside your kids. We’ve included the rating for you to use at your discretion, but know that these are all movies that you and your kids can enjoy together to spark meaningful conversations. So worry less about he rating and more about the important topics these films can raise.
The hate u give
Rated PG 13
“Starr Carter navigates the perilous waters between her poor, black neighborhood and her prestigious, mainly white private school. This all changes when she finds herself in the middle of racial activism after her best friend is shot by police officers, and she’s forced to make a decision. Allow the media to skewer her friend to protect the status quo, or stand up and tell the truth”
Adapted from the YA novel this film is now a movie you can watch on Disney+. This is not your typical coming-of-age story, it’s far more. It’s a story about a complicated culture-clash that a young woman must navigate. This film is marvelous and we highly encourage you to give it a watch!
Black Panther
Rated: PG13
“King T’Challa returns home to the isolated, technologically advanced African nation of Wakanda to serve as new leader. However, T’Challa soon finds that he is challenged for the throne from divisions within his own country. When two enemies conspire to destroy Wakanda, the hero known as Black Panther must join forces with C.I.A. agent Everett K. Ross and members of the Wakandan Special Forces, to prevent Wakanda from being drawn into a world war”
Akeelah and The Bee
Rated: PG
“Akeelah Anderson has an unusual gift to spell words. Encouraged by her teacher and arm-twisted by her principal the eleven-year-old enters and wins her East Los Angeles school’s first spelling bee and qualifies for National Spelling Bee”
Spider-Man. Into the Spider-Verse
Rated: PG.
“Miles Morales becomes the masked superhero of his reality and crosses paths with his counterparts from other dimensions to stop a threat to all reality”. The sequel is expected to be release in October 2022! Any Spider-Man fan will watch this gem!
Hidden Figures
Rated: PG
“As the United States raced against Russia to put a man in space, NASA found untapped talent in a group of African-American female mathematicians that served as the brains behind one of the greatest operations in U.S. history”
This movie is the perfect time to start a conversation with your kids. It lends itself not only to racial injustice, but also gender inequalities, and also a history lesson about the space-race!
These films are from the ones we selected, as they’re easily found on most streaming services. If you’re looking for more, pay a you to visit your local library where they’d be happy to offer up an really extensive selection of films they carry.
Wondering what to discuss?
When watching any film or TV make sure you look for and point out and discuss racist stereotypes and attitudes. Discuss the uniqueness of the black experience. Start young, with the conversation being age appropriate, like fairness and point out racism as unfair and unacceptable. For older kids and teenagers, you can refer here for more tips on talking to your kids about social activism.
