Black History Month has become America’s cash pig. A capitalist phenomenon, where companies think they’re changing lives and are the most trusted allies just because they put a “Sista” with a fro on a brown hoodie, with “Melanin” written beneath it. You may have seen a couple of TikTok videos with people sharing their favorite Black History facts, but the pure intentions behind this month have somewhat vanished.
Black History Month is not just a month where you learn about slavery or the Civil Rights Movement. It’s a time to celebrate Black life and joy through things like events, music, art, books, television shows, and movies.
Nowadays, streaming platforms honor Black History Month by putting together a collection of shows and movies that highlight Black stories. But to me, it seems as though streaming platforms miss the mark when celebrating Black History Month.
Now, we’ve all been there but let me paint the picture. You click on Max, Hulu, or Netflix, and see in big bold letters “Black History Month Collection” with a tribal print as the background. You click on this because you’re curious to see what these streaming platforms think should be included in this category, and you see the usual Friday, Get Out, The Color Purple, 12 Years a Slave, or any Tyler Perry film.
I’m not saying there’s anything wrong with these movies, and I’m glad streaming platforms are taking the time to even showcase films such as these. However, these platforms continue to put the same films in rotation year after year, showing that no actual research has been done on the media’s part. I think instead of the intent being to educate, there should be more fun movies that are brought into the conversation during Black History Month.
There’s a large variety of films we should be continuously digesting that are rich in culture and introduce people to the beauty, complexities, and progression of African American culture.
The Barbershop franchise emphasizes the significance of something as simple as a barbershop. A pillar of the community. A place where Black people can come together and congregate to share their joy, sadness, or anger. It also gives an inside scoop to the thoughts and curiosities of Black people.
Movies like Stomp the Yard and Drumline shine a light not just on HBCU culture, but on the significance of every single thing that occurs on those campuses. The importance of the Divine Nine and the beauty behind marching bands. It draws attention to how music heals us and how it’s a way of expressing our life stories.
You Got Served displays the art form of dancing and krumping, another staple within our community. Black people use dance to sort through their problems and express their feelings, and this film showcases how dance can sometimes be a saving grace.
Films like Eve’s Bayou and The Princess and the Frog draw attention to spirituality within the African American culture. The majority of the Black community identifies as Christian but these films establish the difference between voodoo and hoodoo, and explain how hoodoo was a common practice amongst our ancestors.
Roll Bounce and ATL showcase skating culture and how creative and artistic Black people truly are.
For the longest time, many people have been asking for films involving Black wizards and magic, and unfortunately, our wishes have yet to be granted, but the film Seventeen Again starring Tia, Tamera, and Taj Mowry, dives into the brilliant minds of Black youth with a love for science.
The Disney film Jump In represents a lot more than just a bunch of kids jumping rope. Double Dutch and hand games have been essential to the African American community long before the iPad era took over. It’s a form of creative expression and entertainment for Black girls who would make up fun rhymes people loved.
If you genuinely like a little trauma within your films that displays the harsh reality of being Black in America, biopics such as Selma and Malcolm X are good ones, but I still personally think they’re recycled. The film Higher Learning is a great depiction of the adversities Black students face on college campuses, whether it’s a PWI or an HBCU.
Another great film is For Colored Girls, which highlights the hardships Black women can face in their everyday lives.
As of recently, the film industry has been in a drought, especially when it comes to Black cinema. Black creators are finding it more and more difficult to enter rooms where their projects and proposals are being heard, accepted, and understood. Even when we do get our opportunity, the content itself will more than likely be altered to fit a certain type of audience appeal, therefore erasing the authenticity that should be present in the project.
Nowadays, everything is satire, but nothing is funny. Everything is created to be a lesson, but no one is learning. One can only hope for a day this issue gets fixed, but in the meantime, we should revisit the projects that just make us laugh, smile, and are enjoyable to watch.
I personally think these streaming platforms need to update their Black History Month collections and I hope this change is implemented sooner rather than later.