Login

Black Civil Rights

These films and documentaries chronicle the long, painful and often dangerous struggle of African-Americans to gain equality under the law. From the days of the slave trade to the political movements of the 1960s, there have always been extraordinary individuals who were not prepared to accept the status quo. It is almost incredible to think that such a large section of the population, living in 'the land of the free' did not even have full suffrage until 1965. For a broader perspective on racism throughout the world you may also like to try the Special Interest category 'Racial Intolerance'. Pictured: Iconic Civil Rights Leader, Martin Luther King Jr.

In The Heat Of The Night (1967)

8/10
Director: Norman Jewison
Starring: Sidney Poitier, Rod Steiger, Warren Oates

Winner of five Oscars including Best Picture. Rod Steiger stars as a red neck sheriff who grudgingly accepts help from Sidney Poitier, a black big cit... Read more

Lackawanna Blues (2005)

7.9/10
Director: George C Wolfe
Starring: S Epatha Merkerson, Julie Benz, Robert A Bradley, Thomas Jefferson Byrd, Kathlee...

Based on a one-man show by Ruben Santiago-Hudson (played by Hill Harper) this is the inspiring story of Nanny Crosby (S. Epatha Merkerson) a big-heart... Read more

Mad Men: Season 3 (2009)

8.6/10
Director: Various
Starring: Vincent Kartheiser, January Jones, John Slattery, Jon Hamm, Christina Hendricks,...

Set in early 1960's New York, this acclaimed drama follows the lives of the ruthlessly competitive men and women of Madison Avenue advertising. Since... Read more

Malcolm X (1992)

7.7/10
Director: Spike Lee
Starring: Denzel Washington, Angela Bassett, Albert Hall

Spike Lee's three-hour epic tale of the life and times of the small-time crook from Harlem turned revolutionary civil rights activist has Denzel Washi... Read more

Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom (2013)

7.1/10
Director: Justin Chadwick
Starring: Naomie Harris, Terry Pheto, Idris Elba

A chronicle of Nelson Mandela's life journey from his childhood in a rural village through to his inauguration as the first democratically elected pre... Read more

Mississippi Burning (1988)

7.8/10
Director: Alan Parker
Starring: Willem Dafoe, Brad Dourif, Gene Hackman, Frances McDormand, R Lee Ermey, Gailard...

The civil rights struggle, as interpreted by Alan Parker, received seven Oscar nominations and one award (Best Cinematography). Gene Hackman and Wille... Read more

Rebirth of a Nation (2007)

7.2/10
Director: Paul D (DJ Spooky) Miller

DJ Spooky's provocative 'remix' of D.W. Griffith's infamous 1915 masterpiece, "The Birth of a Nation". Originally commissioned as a live multimedia pe... Read more

Roots (1977)

8.4/10
Director: David Greene, Gilbert Moses, John Erman, Marvin Chomsky
Starring: John Amos, Maya Angelou, Edward Asner, Lloyd Bridges, Georg Stanford Brown, LeVa...

His name was Kunta Kinte. Kidnapped from Africa and enslaved in America in 1767, he refused to accept his slave name of Toby. Heirs kept his heroic de... Read more

Rosewood (1997)

7.2/10
Director: John Singleton
Starring: Jon Voight, Ving Rhames, Don Cheadle, Bruce McGill

Based on a true story set in Florida 1922 where a white woman tells a false story about being assaulted by a black stranger and the white community de... Read more

Salute (2008)

7.6/10
Director: Matt Norman
Starring: Tommie Smith, Peter Norman, John Carlos

At the 1968 Mexico Olympics two black American athletes, Tommie Smith and John Carlos, won gold and bronze respectively, in the 200m dash, famously gi... Read more