20 Movies About Black Women to Close Out Black History Month
A Wrinkle In Time, directed by Ava DuVernay and starring the adorable Storm Reid and Oprah (so it’s mandatory we all watch) is just one example of the awe-inspiring renaissance of Black women starring, directing, and writing films.
And since we’ve had an incredible Black History Month with so many people supporting Black art and entertainment (a.k.a. the 300 million gross release of Black Panther), this is the perfect time to offer some picks of Black womanhood in film to close out February:
Films About Black Women
What’s Love Got to Do with It (1993)
The gorgeous, talented, and shining example of black-don’t-crack’ actress, Angela Bassett channeled icon, Tina Turner is this classic, heartfelt story of Turner’s life overcoming abuse and neglect to find peace and love.
From divorce and cheating to sex and romance, this movie shows the mess that comes with falling in love and the importance of sisterhood.
Many people, including myself did not know the story of a team of female, African-American mathematicians playing a critical role in NASA during the early years of the U.S. space program. After, watching I left feeling so inspired that I made it a mission to know more about Black women stories and showcasing them to the world. Hence, the blog :)
Here, Akeelah Anderson, played by Keke Palmer (who also has a pretty gorgeous Instagram) strives to participate and win the Scripps National Spelling Bee. I distinctly remember this movie being one of the first movies in my childhood putting African American girls in a positive light, showing we have what it takes to succeed.
Okay, I love me some Janet Jackson. And in this movie, Janet starred as main character, Justice, who wrote poems to deal with the loss of her boyfriend. The poems were written by the legendary, Maya Angelou.
Their Eyes Were Watching God (2005)
Adapted by Zora Neale Hurston’s book of the same name, the film stars the striking Halle Berry and captures the difficulty of love, relationships and being a Black woman.
This heart-wrenching story of sisterhood is set in the backdrop of a crime spree by four Black women who become bank robbers.
“Until you do right by me, everything you think about is gonna crumble.” Those words spoken by Whoopi Goldberg stuck with me to this day. She starred as, Celie the protagonist who maintained her resolve through racism, rape, and misogyny in the rural South.
Before Olivia Pope and Fitz were a thing, this screenplay highlighted a woman dealing with an interracial relationship and the African American values and customs she has grown to love and respect.
Adapted from Toni Morrison’s harrowing, Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, Beloved tells the story of Sethe, a former slave who goes to the extremes to protect her children from being sold into slavery.
Dandridge became the first Black women to be nominated for an Oscar for Best Actress with this movie.
Films By Black Women
Gugu-Mbatha Raw (you can catch her now in the new Cloverfield film on Netflix) portrayed Nona, a suicidal, superstar singer who, with the help of a cop finds the courage to develop her own voice and become the artist and person she was destined to be.
Poet Maya Angelou made her feature directorial debut with this African-American centered family drama.
I love all of writer’s Gina Prince-Bythewood’s work (Shots Fired, Beyond the Lights, The Secret Life of Bees), but this one is my absolute favorite. Love & Basketball is a 2000 American romantic drama, telling the story of two next-door neighbors pursuing their basketball careers before eventually falling for each other.
Middle of Nowhere is 2012 independent feature film written and directed by Ava DuVernay. It was also the winner of the Directing Award for U.S. Dramatic Film at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival. Need I say more?
I think Angela Basset is a genius at almost everything she does. So, I have added her directorial debut to my must-watch list: a chronicle of Whitney Houston’s rise to fame and turbulent relationship with husband Bobby Brown. Bassett also directed a couple episodes of American Horror Story, which if you haven’t watch, there’s something wrong with you.
Woman Thou Art Loosed: On The 7th Day (2012)
Neema Barnette is first African-American woman sitcom director. As director for Woman Thou Art Loosed: On The 7th Day, she captures the Ames’ family the week after their six year old daughter is kidnapped and the secrets about their past that could rip their lives apart.
Tiffany Haddish. That’s all I really want to say, but if you need more this is the hilarious story
written by Kenya Barris and Tracy Oliver following a group of four friends who go to New Orleans in an effort to reconnect. It’s a break the seal, almost pee-in-your-pants kind of movie.
Written by up and comer, Canadian-filmmaker, Stella Meghie, Everything, Everything is an adaptation of the novel about a teenaged girl who is allergic to everything, starring the fabulous Anika Noni Rose and Amandla Stenberg.
