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.
A Huey P Newton Story (2001)
7.1/10
Director: Spike Lee
Starring: Roger Guenveur Smith
An intimate portrait of Huey P. Newton, the late co-founder of the Black Panther Party. Director Spike Lee and Roger Guenveur Smith bring Newton's tho... 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
Get On The Bus (1996)
6.8/10
Director: Spike Lee
Starring: Ossie Davis, Charles S Dutton, Andre Braugher
A vibrant, highly energised film about a bus load of black men heading from L.A. to the Million Man March in Washington D.C. in October 1995. This fil... Read more
Forrest Gump (Blu-Ray) (1994)
8.8/10
Director: Robert Zemeckis
Starring: Gary Sinise, Haley Joel Osment, Peter Dobson, Robin Wright, Sally Field, Tom Han...
Slow-witted Forrest Gump (Tom Hanks) has never thought of himself as disadvantaged, and thanks to his supportive mother (Sally Field), he leads anythi... 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
Berkeley in the Sixties (1990)
7.6/10
Director: Mark Kitchell
Starring: Martin Luther King, Allen Ginsberg, Joan Baez
An acclaimed film of the major events of the 1960s, including the civil rights movement, free speech protests and anti-war rallies, as seen by 15 lead... 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
Cry Freedom (Blu-Ray) (1987)
7.5/10
Director: Richard Attenborough
Starring: Kevin Kline, Penelope Wilton, Denzel Washington
Donald Woods is chief editor at the liberal newspaper `Daily Dispatch' in South Africa. He has written several editorials critical of the views of Ste... Read more
Cry Freedom (1987)
7.5/10
Director: Richard Attenborough
Starring: Kevin Kline, Penelope Wilton, Denzel Washington
Stirring epic drama by Richard Attenborough ("Gandhi") that follows the friendship between white South African journalist Donald Woods (Kevin Kline) a... 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