What To Binge On Netflix During Black History Month

“When They See Us,” “13th,” “Teach Us All,” and more!

By Jackie Menjivar

In 1976, the first year the US government officially acknowledged Black History Month, President Gerald Ford described the month as an opportunity “to honor the too-often neglected accomplishments of Black Americans in every area of endeavor throughout our history.” While the legacy and purpose of Black History Month are up for debate, February at the very least teaches us to recognize the institutional injustices Black communities have faced throughout history, and to honor the contributions of Black Americans.

Too often, US schools practice “erasure” by leaving out or misrepresenting the truth about Black historical figures and events. For example, in 2018, only 8% of high school seniors could correctly identify slavery as the main cause of the Civil War. Schools aren’t teaching the real deal on Black history, but we can. By inspiring friends to watch things like When They See Us, 13th, and Teach Us All, we can fight erasure and get educated during Black History Month and beyond.

1. 13th

Filmmaker Ava DuVernay explores “the intersection of race, justice and mass incarceration in the United States” in the groundbreaking Emmy-winning documentary 13th. Titled after the thirteenth amendment of the Constitution, the film tracks the history of race relations in America, from Jim Crow to Black Lives Matter.

2. Paris is Burning

Filmed in the 1980s, Paris is Burning explores the New York City ball scene and the Black and Latinx performers who participate in it. Through one-on-one interviews, prominent drag queens and ball contestants share their experiences navigating gender, race, class, and sexuality in their communities. At times a vibrant celebration and others a solemn tribute, this documentary has even earned a spot in the Library of Congress’ National Film Registry.

3. ReMastered: The Two Killings of Sam Cooke

Sam Cooke was a hugely influential singer-songwriter and an outspoken civil rights activist in the 1950s. Cooke was shot to death at age 33, and the circumstances of his death have been under question ever since. ReMastered: The Two Killings of Sam Cooke investigates the mystery behind Cooke’s murder and the tension between being both an entertainer and an advocate. It aims to show viewers “the music you know [and] the stories you don’t.”

4. When They See Us

Another work from director Ava DuVernay, When They See Us is an Emmy-winning miniseries depicting the real-life nightmare of the Central Park Five (now often called the Exonerated Five), a group of five teenage boys who were wrongfully convicted in a prominent 1989 sexual assault case. It’s a heartbreakingly true story that shines a light on our flawed criminal justice system and the way society unfairly perceives Black youth and other youth of color.

5. The Get Down

This two-part Netflix original series adds a surrealist flair to the history of hip-hop. The Get Down is set in the South Bronx during the 1970s, where a group of ambitious teens dream of making it in the music world. Though most of the story is fictional, the episodes draw on the very real social injustices of the time, including political corruption and the infamous Bronx housing crisis.

6. Teach Us All

Released on the 60th anniversary of the Little Rock Nine’s arrival to Arkansas’ Central High School, Teach Us All documents the history of segregation in the American school system, and the ways in which education continues to fail low-income students of color. Featuring interviews with students and education professionals, the film is a testament to the importance of -- and the ongoing struggle for -- equal opportunity for all.

7. The Death and Life of Marsha P. Johnson

If Black History Month is about telling stories of the marginalized and underrepresented, then the voices of LGBTQ+ people of color deserve to be heard as well. The Death and Life of Marsha P. Johnson does exactly that, walking viewers through the legacy of trans activist Marsha P. Johnson. Johnson was a powerful figure in the gay liberation movement and in the Stonewall uprising, events whose histories are so often whitewashed.

8. Trigger Warning with Killer Mike

In this recent addition to Netflix, rapper and activist Killer Mike breaks down an array of social issues, from discrimination in the education system to a unique point of view on “white gang privilege.” Trigger Warning is an experimental docuseries that helps viewers recognize the unexpected and often unjust realities of living while Black.

9. Roxanne Roxanne

Roxanne Roxanne tells the true story of a 14-year-old girl from Queens and her ascent to hip-hop stardom as one of early rap’s first female MCs. If you haven’t heard of Roxanne Shanté before, this biopic will give you an understanding of all that she overcame and accomplished as a pioneering figure of hip-hop.

10. LA 92

You may have heard the 1992 Los Angeles riots referred to as the Rodney King riots, sparked by the brutal beating of Rodney King at the hands of four LA police officers. LA 92 uses only raw, archival footage to paint a vivid picture of the decades leading up to the LA riots and the fallout that’s still felt over 25 years later.