Movies to watch during Black History Month

14 TV shows and movies to watch this Black History Month

Disney Plus has a whole collection dedicated to Black History all year round


This Black History Month’s theme is Time for Change: Action not Words, and there are a multitude of TV shows and movies to truly get to grips with Black history if you’re not familiar with it already. These movies and television programmes should still be watched all year round and are available to do so on streaming sites like Netflix and Disney Plus. From retellings of historical events to the depiction of wholesome Black love and Black excellence, here are 14 TV shows and movies to watch this Black History Month on Netflix and Disney Plus.

1. Moesha

via Netflix

Starring Brandy Norwood, Moesha is an American television sitcom available on Netflix. The TV show is focused on the life of an upper middle class Black family through the eyes of Moesha. The show aired from 1996 to 2001 and dealt with issues including grief, pregnancy, sexuality, race relations, gender prejudice and inequality. All six seasons are available to watch now on Netflix.

2. Girlfriends

via Netflix

Girlfriends was a hit American TV show in the early 2000s. The sitcom stars an all-Black cast of four friends: Toni, Joan, Lynn and Maya. Girlfriends explores the experiences of Black women living in America as they attempt to navigate friendships, relationships and their careers. The show starred Tracee Ellis Ross, Golden Brooks, Persia White and Jill Marie Jones as the four main friends. The show aired from 2000 to 2008 and all eight seasons are available to watch now on Netflix.

3. Sister, Sister

Sister, Sister followed two twin sisters who were separated at birth who are then reunited as teenagers. The sitcom stars Tia and Tamera Mowry as the twin series and it aired from 1994 to 1999 for six seasons. When Sister, Sister was finally put on Netflix, all the prayers for even more 90s nostalgia were answered and still are as all seasons are currently available to watch on Netflix.

4. On My Block

via Netflix

On My Block is one of Netflix’s greatest original series. The show follows a group of friends are they navigate their way through high school in Los Angeles. Monsé, Ruby, Jamal and Cesar are the main group of friends who would do anything for one another and even though they argue at times they always come together. If we can all collectively agree to never speak about the ending of the last season, life will be good.

Every episode is still available to watch on Netflix and a spinoff series called Freeridge was confirmed in October 2021.

5. Colin in Black & White

Movies to watch during Black History Month

via Netflix

Colin in Black & White is a limited fictionalised drama series of the teenage years of American athlete Colin Kaepernick and the experiences that led him to become an activist. Kaepernick narrates the series as he recounts his teenage years navigating race, class and culture. The series aired on Netflix in October 2021, and it is still available to watch.

6. Self Made

via Netflix

Netflix’s Self Made is based on the true story of Madam C. J. Walker, an African American washerwoman who rises from poverty to build a beauty empire and become the first female self-made millionaire. Octavia Spencer portrays Madam C. J. Walker and stars alongside Blair Underwood and Garrett Morris.

7. The Get Down

via Netflix

The Get Down is an American musical drama series created by Baz Luhrmann and it follows the rise of hip-hop and disco music through the eyes of a group of teenagers in the 1970s. The series only had one season and was cancelled by Netflix shortly after in 2016 but it is still available to watch on the site. The cast includes Justice Smith who starred in All the Bright Places, as well as Jaden Smith.

8. Hidden Figures

Hidden Figures is biographical drama which tells the story of a team of female African American mathematicians who played a key role in NASA during the early years of the US space programme. The movie stars Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer and Janelle Monáe and is currently available to watch on Disney Plus.

9. Black is King

Movies to watch during Black History Month

via Disney Plus

Beyoncé’s Black is King is an American musical film. According to Esquire, the movie “calls upon Black men to throw off the shackles of colonised masculinity which leads to violence against women and girls, queerphobia and destruction of self”. Black is King is available to watch on Disney Plus and is currently in its Black History collection.

10. Black-ish

Black-ish is an American sitcom TV series which follows an upper middle class Black family juggle personal and sociopolitical issues. The show has had three spin-off series and has the likes of Anthony Anderson and Tracee Ellis Ross leading the cast. All seasons of Black-ish are available to watch on Disney Plus.

11. Black Panther

Black Panther is a Marvel Cinematic Universe superhero film and is Stan Lee’s first Black superhero. The first movie stars Chadwick Boseman, Michael B. Jordan, Lupita Nyong’o and Angela Bassett. The movie follows T’Challa who is crowned king of Wakanda following his father’s death but he is challenged by Killmonger who wants to begin a global revolution.

The trailer for the second Black Panther film just dropped and it is set to be released in November 2022.

12. Atlanta

Comedy-drama Atlanta follows Earn who works for an upcoming rapper as they try to make a name for themselves in the music industry. The show explores racism, existentialism and African American culture through a surrealist lens and stars Donald Glover and LaKeith Lee Stanfield. The series is available to watch on Disney Plus.

13. Dear White People

Movies to watch during Black History Month

via Netflix

Dear White People is a satirical series on Netflix series which follows a group of university student aa they deal with issues of social injustice, cultural bias, political correctness and misguided activism. Volumes one to three are all available to stream on Netflix.

14. Pose

Set in New York City in the 1980s, Pose is about the world of ballroom culture scene. The series follows dancers and models who compete in the underground culture and support one another. The series stars Evan Peters, Dominique Jackson and Billy Porter. Seasons one to three are available to watch on BBC iPlayer, and season one is available on Netflix.

Many of these movies and TV shows are available on Netflix now. For all the latest Netflix news, drops, quizzes and memes like The Holy Church of Netflix on Facebook. 

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Featured image credit via Netflix.