The 13 Best Black History Month Movies For Students, Including Harriet & Hidden Figures

Black History Month is celebrated in February in the United States (and October in the United Kingdom). It is a special month that celebrates the people and events that shaped the history of Black people in the country. There are several ways to celebrate Black History Month, and two of the best ways to learn more about these important people and events are by reading books and watching movies that tell their poignant stories. This is even more important for kids, as they can mix entertainment and education to learn about history and be inspired to greatness.

However, this can present a challenge. Some movies that depict significant events in Black history may be too mature for younger kids. 12 Years a Slave focuses on a very important subject and an integral point in Black history, but features incredibly disturbing subject matter. Other movies might be great for high schoolers, but are a little too violent or explicit for younger kids. We looked at movies that could be great for students, some for high school kids and others for younger elementary school students that will help teach them more about Black history.

13 Harriet (2019)

Rated PG-13 For Thematic Content Throughout, Violent Material And Language, Including Racial Epithets

Harriet Tubman was an American abolitionist who helped rescue close to 70 enslaved people through the Underground Railroad while also serving as an armed scout and spy for the Union Army during the American Civil War. Released in 2017, Harriet tells the story of Tubman, with Cynthia Erivo (Wicked) fame taking on the role of the iconic figure in Black history. The film shows Harriet in an interesting light, as she has experienced visions or hallucinations ever since a head injury as a child but believes they are messages sent to her from God.

Harriet tells an important part of Black history during the American Civil War, and while some of the moments might be a little intense for younger kids, it is a great film for older elementary students and perfect for those in middle and high school to learn about the Underground Railroad and the fight that these brave individuals had to take on to find freedom. It is important that the kids watching this understand the idea of slavery because of the violence and racial slurs that play out in this story.

12 42 (2013)

Rated PG-13 For Thematic Elements Including Language

Before he took on the role of T'Challa, the Black Panther in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the late Chadwick Boseman played a real-life Black hero in Jackie Robinson, the first Black athlete to play Major League Baseball in the modern era. This film tells the story of how the Brooklyn Dodgers set out to bring in Robinson with the agreement that he would show restraint when it comes to racial insults, which he has to overcome at almost every turn until he finally leads his Dodgers to the World Series.

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School is often where kids learn their love for sports, and Black students today have Jackie Robinson to thank for breaking down the color barriers in professional sports and opening the door for everyone to have a chance to achieve their dreams. The title of the movie refers to Robinson's number in the Majors, and every year, all professional players wear his number on April 15 — a number that MLB has retired, and no player can ever wear again in honor of the Hall of Fame athlete.

11 Crooklyn (1994)

Rated PG-13 For Drug Content

When it comes to Black History Month, Spike Lee has an incredible list of movies that people can watch. However, most of his movies are not made for kids, with titles like Do the Right Thing, BlacKkKlansman, and Da 5 Bloods. However, one movie that is perfect for kids to watch from Lee's filmography is Crooklyn. The movie follows a young girl named Troy Carmichael (Zelda Harris) and her family, of whom she learns lessons from her brothers and parents (Alfre Woodard and Delroy Lindo).

There are very few films that have a strong focus on young Black girls, and Crooklyn does this perfectly.

What really makes this movie such a perfect one for students to watch during Black History Month is that there are very few films that have a strong focus on young Black girls, and Crooklyn does this perfectly. This is because Troy's story is a coming-of-age tale based on Spike Lee's own sister, Joie Lee, who helped write the screenplay, and her experience growing up with her brothers in Brooklyn. This allows young Black girls a chance to see themselves in a movie in a positive and inspirational light.

10 A Ballerina's Tale (2015)

Rated G For All Ages

When it comes to movies made for younger students to watch during Black History Month, A Ballerina's Tale is perfect for even the smaller kids. This is a documentary from 2015 that follows Misty Copeland, a trailblazing ballerina with the American Ballet Theatre (ABT). Copeland is the first Black woman to work as a principal dancer in ABT's 75-year history. Copeland had a tough time as she started dancing when she was 13 and became a prodigy before her mother and trainers began a battle for her custody.

The documentary shows footage from her childhood while also following her daily life as she makes her way to perform at the Metropolitan Opera House. This might be a documentary, but showing this young woman from her childhood makes it an inspirational story for young girls who have their own dreams of becoming a dancer — or just achieving their own dreams in whatever they want to do. It is short and inspirational and one of the best features for elementary-aged girls.

9 Hidden Figures (2016)

Rated PG For Thematic Elements And Some Language

There are lots of movies for kids to watch if they want an inspirational story about becoming a football or basketball player. However, there is also a movie for little kids who want to grow up to become scientists and make a difference in the world through STEM. Hidden Figures tells the story of three Black mathematicians who worked for NASA and helped develop the system that sent John Glenn into space. They did this despite being dismissed by even those they worked with.

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For kids in middle school and high school who have dreams of becoming a scientist and proving their worth at NASA, Hidden Figures is a great movie to watch. This celebrates three women who made a true difference in the world, and it is the main reason to celebrate Black History Month, as it is inspirational and motivational and shows the great work that people did despite enduring racial and gender discrimination, yet never letting it stop them.

8 Remember The Titans (2000)

Rated PG For Thematic Elements And Some Language

Released in 2000, Remember the Titans is an inspirational sports film about the real-life Herman Boone. In 1971, Herman Boone was hired to become the head coach of the T.C. Williams High School in Alexandria, Virginia. A Black high school football coach, he had a tough task as he was asked to integrate the school and faced scrutiny when he was named the head coach over the white Bill Yoast, who had a history at the school. Denzel Washington played Boone while Will Patton played Yoast.

This is a great film for students to watch to learn how things were in high school football when integration began and racism was still strong concerning holding back Black athletes and coaches. Washington, who starred in several quality Black History Month movies (The Hurricane, Glory, Malcolm X), was perfectly cast in this role and never downplayed the importance that his character played in not only making his own mark in the sport but also helping the students achieve their dreams as well.

7 Selma (2014)

Rated PG-13 For Disturbing Thematic Material Including Violence, A Suggestive Moment, And Brief Strong Language

There are many movies that tell the story of the segregated South and the hate-filled violence that resulted due to mindless racism. Most of these are not suitable for younger kids but are great for teenagers to watch to better understand things that schools might not be properly teaching in class. However, one movie that remains an honest look at bad times, while maintaining a level that makes it suitable for students to watch with their parents is Selma.

Ava DuVernay directed this film about the voting rights marches from Selma, Alabama to Montgomery, which were led by none other than Martin Luther King Jr. David Oyelowo stars as MLK in the movie, while Tom Wilkinson stars as U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson. While some critics pointed out its historical inaccuracies, Selma was praised for its look at MLK, and it is a great Black History Month movie showing how far the country still remains from MLK's dreams.

6 Akeelah And The Bee (2006)

Rated PG For Some Language

Akeelah and the Bee is a drama film that follows an 11-year-old Black girl who takes part in the Scripps National Spelling Bee. The entire idea behind the film is that this specific spelling bee is almost always between white students from wealthy backgrounds. This led writer/director Doug Atchison to want to create a story where a young Black girl from a poor upbringing had a chance to not only compete in the spelling bee, but win it. A 13-year-old Keke Palmer played Akeelah Anderson in the movie.

Akeelah and the Bee is about race and racism, poverty, and how the educational system has a habit of failing people who don't come from privilege. It also takes on the ideas of community, friendship, empowerment, self-image, and sportsmanship, and these are all themes and topics that students should watch in their movies, especially when celebrating something as important as Black History Month. A purely inspirational story, this is a great movie for kids of all ages.

5 To Kill A Mockingbird (1962)

Unrated But Contains Difficult Themes And Some Language

One of the most famous socially conscious movies in classic cinema history, To Kill a Mockingbird remains one of cinema's greatest stories. Based on the novel by Harper Lee and a script by Horton Foote,To Kill a Mockingbird tells the story of a Black man falsely accused of sexually assaulting a white woman. He ends up with Atticus Finch as his attorney, a man who feels all people deserve to be treated equally, and he finds himself facing the town's wrath for defending this man.

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What the movie does so well, and what makes it perfect for students to watch during Black History Month, is that the film mostly shows the story from Atticus' daughter's point of view. It is similar in the book, with Scout (and her brother Jem) seeing what is happening to the falsely accused man and the townspeople's almost blind racist hatred toward him based solely on his skin color. To Kill a Mockingbird received numerous accolades and is one of cinema's most beloved movies.

4 The Great Debaters (2007)

Rated PG-13 For Depiction Of Strong Thematic Material Including Violence And Disturbing Images, And For Language And Brief Sexuality

In 2007, Denzel Washington took the lead role in another socially conscious historical drama. This time, the film was The Great Debaters, and it cast Washington in the role of a debate coach named Melvin B. Tolson at Wiley College, a historically Black college that was part of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South. Much like many of Washington's socially conscious roles, this was also based on a real person. In this film, he led the debate team to compete with white colleges, despite the racism prevalent in the 1930s.

A perfect movie for students to watch to learn about the difficulties in high schools in the past, The Great Debaters is set in the Great Depression where many Black Americans were often subjected to lynchings. It also focuses on gender discrimination, making this a perfect film for male and female students. It is an inspirational movie that shows that anyone can achieve anything if they have the determination and will to stand up against hate and intolerance.

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