The author of the above linked article asked four film scholars to offer recommendations that speak to black culture. Below are the films mentioned, and the scholars who recommended them. The article tells more about why the films were chosen and what the films are about. I haven’t seen most of these.
Donald Bogle: Film Historian
Mr. Bogle is the author of books including “Toms, Coons, Mulattoes, Mammies, & Bucks,” and “Hollywood Black: The Stars, the Films, the Filmmakers.”
“Nothing But a Man” (YouTube)
“Boyz n the Hood” (Amazon Prime Video, iTunes, Hulu, and others)
Maori Karmael Holmes: Artistic Director, BlackStar Film Festival
Ms. Holmes is the founder of an annual event showcasing films by black, brown and indigenous people from around the world.
“Whose Streets?” (Google Play, Amazon Prime Video, Hulu)
“Always in Season” (PBS.org)
Dr. Todd Boyd, Race in Pop Culture Scholar
Dr. Boyd is the professor of cinema and media studies at USC School of Cinematic Arts and the Katherine and Frank Price Endowed Chair for the Study of Race and Popular Culture
“In the Heat of the Night” (Amazon Prime Video)
“Dead Presidents” (VUDU, Amazon Prime Video, YouTube)
Ina Diane Archer, Media Conservator
Media conservation and digitization specialist at the National Museum of African American History and Culture
“Night of the Living Dead” (Tubi, YouTube, Google Play)
“When the Levees Broke: A Requiem in Four Acts” (Hulu, YouTube TV)
bookworm at the gym 