Watching a movie together is a great opportunity to discuss hard issues in American history. Here are the best black history movies for kids.
Using movies to start a conversation is a great way to get your kids talking about important topics like race and racism.
And with the help of the black history movies for kids, you’ll have plenty of inspiration to help you get the conversation started.
Whether you’re looking for hopeful stories to inspire your kids or biopics based on important figures your teens are learning about, each of these historic films is a great way to learn about black history.
Best Black History Movies for Kids
There are a variety of amazing black history movies your kids will love, which means you’ll have plenty of titles to enjoy throughout the year.
And no matter their age, from young kids to teens, there’s an inspirational title for everyone in the family to watch. With that said, some of these movies won’t be suitable for younger children.
Black History Movies for Kids
There are a variety of amazing black history movies your kids will love, which means you’ll have plenty of titles to enjoy throughout the year. And no matter their age, from young kids to teens, there’s an inspirational title for everyone in the family to watch.
Selma
Rated PG-13
Watch Dr. Martin Luther King as he fights for equal voting rights for all during a violent three month period in 1965.
Hidden Figures
Rated PG
Learn about the three brilliant black women at NASA behind the launch of John Glenn into orbit in this moving family-friendly film.
Harriet
Rated PG-13
This moving drama follows abolitionist Harriet Tubman as she makes several journeys back and forth along the underground railroad to help free slaves.
Malcom X
Rated R
Your teenagers can learn a lot from Denzel Washington as he stars as the historic civil rights leader Malcom X in this black history biopic directed by Spike Lee.
The Hate U Give
Rated PG-13
When a young girl witnesses her best friend’s murder at the hands of the police, she decides to stand up for what’s right.
A Ballerina’s Tale
Rated PG-13
This interesting documentary shows the trials and triumphs of Misty Copeland, the first black woman to hold a principal role in the American Ballet Theater.
Black Panther
Rated PG-13
Featuring the first black superhero in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Black Panther must lead the fictional nation of Wakanda after facing a challenge to his leadership.
42
Rated PG-13
Jackie Robinson signs on as the first black player in Major League Baseball when he starts playing for the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1946 in this family-friendly historical drama.
Judas & The Black Messiah
Rated R
An FBI informant infiltrates the Illinois chapter of the Black Panther party and is tasked with reporting information back to the bureau about the group’s charismatic leader, Fred Hampton, in this teen-friendly movie.
Akeelah and the Bee
Rated PG
In spite of the odds being stacked against her, a young girl makes her way to the national spelling bee in this uplifting family feature.
Just Mercy
Rated PG-13
Fighting for death row inmates in the south, lawyer Bryan Stevenson (who later starts the Equal Justice Initiative) takes on a case to save a black man from death row after proving his innocence.
Marshall
Rated R
This biopic about a young Thurgood Marshall — the first black man to serve on the supreme court — stars Chadwick Boseman as the attorney battling through one of his career-defining cases.
Soul
Rated PG
A jazz musician draws inspiration from his community and music to help him see what a full life he has lived.
Remember the Titans
Rated PG
A newly integrated high school football team must learn to come together as a team to win.
The Princess and the Frog
Rated G
This animated Disney classic features the first black princess, Tiana, who dreams of opening her own restaurant in New Orleans but ends up finding adventure and love through an epic journey.
Ruby Bridges
Rated PG
When six year old Ruby Bridges becomes the first African-American to integrate into the local elementary school, she must overcome the ugliness of racism.
The Color Purple
Rated PG-13
This movie classic shows the battles and triumph of an African American teenager raised in rural Georgia as she details her life-long trauma through personal letters to God.
Race
Rated PG-13
Your kids can be inspired by the rise of Jesse Owens from college track star to Olympic legend after he wins four gold medals in the 1936 games.
John Lewis Good Trouble
Rated PG-13
Learn about legendary U.S. Representative John Lewis’ legacy of more than 60 years of activism, from his teenage years on the front lines of the civil rights movement to becoming a legislative powerhouse.
The Color of Friendship
Rated G
Two friends from different backgrounds spend a semester together and soon learn that their preconceptions of each other were wrong. They must overcome their assumptions to learn about the true color of friendship.
The Queen of Katwe
Rated PG
A Ugandan girl’s life changes forever when she learns that she has an amazing talent for the game of chess in this inspirational story.
Another great film featuring black culture and black stories is Michelle Obama’s Becoming documentary on Netflix.
Ava DuVernay’s Netflix documentary is also a great choice about racial injustice and discrimination in the United States.
The documentary brings awareness to that fact the U.S. prisons are disproportionately filled with black people.
We also have a list of the best slavery movies you may like for Black History month.
