Movies About The Black Experience

From Daniel Petrie, starring Sidney Poitier, Claudia McNeil, Ruby Dee, Diana Sands
Rated Approved

A Raisin in the Sun is an American drama film based on the play of the same name by Lorraine Hansberry. It follows the Younger family, an African-American family living in the South Side of Chicago in the 1950s, as they strive to achieve the American Dream. The family matriarch, Mama (Claudia McNeil), receives a life insurance check for $10,000 after her husband's death, and must decide how to use the windfall to improve the family's future. Walter Lee (Sidney Poitier), her son, initially wants to use the money to become a business partner in a liquor store, but Mama has other, more aspirational ideas in mind. Her daughter, Beneatha (Diana Sands), dreams of attending medical school and becoming a doctor. The family must decide how to invest their money and how to work together to make their dreams come true. The film touches on themes of racism, economic hardship, and the pursuit of the American Dream.

From Douglas Sirk, starring Lana Turner, John Gavin, Sandra Dee, Susan Kohner
Rated Not Rated

Imitation of Life is a 1959 American melodrama directed by Douglas Sirk, and starring Lana Turner and Juanita Moore. The film tells the story of two single mothers struggling to make ends meet in the 1950s. Turner plays Lora Meredith, a white actress who struggles to find fame and fortune while trying to raise her daughter, Susie. Moore plays Annie Johnson, Lora’s African-American housekeeper, and the mother of Sarah Jane, Susie’s best friend. The two families learn to rely on each other for support, but their relationship is strained when Sarah Jane begins to resent her mother for passing as white in order to gain more opportunities. Ultimately, the two families must come to terms with the consequences of their decisions, while striving to make a better life for themselves.

From Steven Spielberg, starring Danny Glover, Whoopi Goldberg, Oprah Winfrey, Margaret Avery
Rated PG-13

The Color Purple is a 1985 American coming-of-age drama film directed by Steven Spielberg, based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel of the same name by Alice Walker. Set in rural Georgia during the early 1900s, the film follows the story of Celie, a young African American woman, who is forced into a life of servitude by her abusive father and husband. Through the support of her friends and family, Celie is able to find her voice and overcome the numerous abuses she suffers. The film received critical acclaim, earning 11 Academy Award nominations, and won two for Best Actress in a Supporting Role and Best Music, Original Score. The Color Purple was also named to the National Film Registry in 2018 for its cultural, historical, and aesthetic significance.

From Steven Spielberg, starring Djimon Hounsou, Matthew McConaughey, Anthony Hopkins, Morgan Freeman
Rated R

From George Tillman Jr., starring Cuba Gooding Jr., Robert De Niro, Charlize Theron, Aunjanue Ellis
Rated R

From Julie Dash, starring Cora Lee Day, Alva Rogers, Barbarao, Trula Hoosier
Rated TV-PG

From Jonathan Demme, starring Oprah Winfrey, Danny Glover, Yada Beener, Emil Pinnock
Rated R