Spotlighting Black History Makers in Movies & Television on Prime Video
We highlight the movies, documentaries and, TV-shows, based on historical events and figures, that celebrate the achievements and cultural impact of the Black community. These titles are available to rent and stream on Prime Video or via a Prime Video subscription, in the US.
List activity
17K views
• 4 this weekCreate a new list
List your movie, TV & celebrity picks.
157 titles
- DirectorIce-TAndy BaybuttStarsIce-TDr. DreChuck DA documentary on rap music and its rise to global prominence.Available to Stream Now
- DirectorEric 'Ptah' HerbertStarsLMFT Alesia A. WesleyAndrew AmigoBadLuccManchild is a documentary film that chronicles the circuitous life of legendary Los Angeles hoops megastar Schea Cotton. The documentary is expressed through Schea's intimate accounts and those that knew him best on and off the court.Available to Stream Now
- DirectorKristopher BelmanStarsLeBron JamesDru JoyceRomeo TravisThis documentary follows NBA superstar LeBron James and four of his talented teammates through the trials and tribulations of high school basketball in Ohio and James' journey to fame.Available to Stream Now
- DirectorMark LandsmanStarsCraig BaldwinCraig GreenConrad O. Johnson Sr.Alumni from Houston's storied Kashmere High School Stage Band return home after 35 years to play a tribute concert for their beloved band leader who turned the struggling jazz band into a world-class funk powerhouse in the early 1970s.Available to Stream Now
- DirectorMichael VincentStarsThe O'JaysThe legends of RB perform at the Bergen Performing Arts Center, celebrating their 50th year in music. All the hits are included in this high-definition filming, including Backstabbers, For The Love of Money, Use Ta Be My Girl and Love Train. One of the greatest performances by Eddie Levert, Walter Williams and the rest of the group is a San Juan exclusive.Available to Stream Now
- DirectorOne9StarsNasCornel WestPharrell WilliamsThe story behind Nas's groundbreaking debut album 'Illmatic, ' and the early life of one of the most talented rappers of all time. Featuring Pharrell Williams, Alicia Keys, Q-Tip, and Busta Rhymes.Available to Stream Now
- 1971– TV-G5.3 (61)TV EpisodeDirectorJason GoldwatchStarsNasThe National Symphony OrchestraSteven ReinekeTwo decades after the album's critically acclaimed release, hip-hop artist Nas teamed up with the National Symphony Orchestra at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., to stage a symphonic rendition of "Illmatic," one of the most revered albums in hip-hop history. The new concert film Great Performances - Nas Live From the Kennedy Center: Classical Hip-Hop captures the energy and nostalgia of this collaborative performance.Available to Stream Now
- DirectorTamra DavisStarsJean Michel BasquiatJulian SchnabelLarry GagosianDirector Tamra Davis pays homage to her friend in this definitive documentary but also delves into Basquiat as an iconoclast. His dense, bebop-influenced neoexpressionist work emerged while minimalist, conceptual art was the fad; as a successful black artist, he was constantly confronted by racism and misconceptions. Much can be gleaned from insider interviews and archival footage, but it is Basquiat's own words and work that powerfully convey the mystique and allure of both the artist and the man.Available to Stream Now
- DirectorRaoul PeckStarsSamuel L. JacksonJames BaldwinMartin Luther KingWriter James Baldwin tells the story of race in modern America with his unfinished novel, Remember This House.Available to Stream Now
- DirectorAlex GibneyStarsJames BrownChristian McBrideBobby ByrdA look at the music career of musician James Brown beginning with his first hit song, "Please, Please, Please," in 1956.Available to Stream Now
- DirectorSacha JenkinsStarsDamon DashAlexander DominguezDaymond JohnFresh Dressed chronicles the history of Hip-Hop <> Urban fashion and its rise from southern cotton plantations to the gangs of 1970s in the South Bronx, to corporate America, and everywhere in-between. Supported by rich archival materials and in depth interviews with individuals crucial to the evolution of a way of life--and the outsiders who studied and admired them--Fresh Dressed goes to the core of where style was born on the black and brown side of town.Available to Stream Now
- DirectorDavid M. TalleyStarsAllison BlakelyN.M. HubbardLiliane KoziolAvailable to Stream Now
- DirectorCharles BurnettStarsHerbert ApthekerAyuko BabuCharles BurnettThe story and legacy of the enigmatic leader of the notorious 1831 homicidal slave revolt in Virginia, along with reviews of works about him, are explored; twentieth century civil rights discussed and cultural relativism mentioned.Available to Stream Now
- StarsMuhammad AliJonelle AllenJohn AmosThe black image on television changed American culture. This two-hour program includes rare footage, memorabilia, photographs and exclusive interviews from the actors/writers/producers whose personal journeys created television history.Available to Stream Now
- DirectorJürgen SchadebergJurgen Schadeberg brings light on fellow photographer and former exile Ernest Cole in this beautiful film. Cole may have been one of a generation of lost black achievers that history overlooked, but no more.Available to Stream Now
- DirectorTed NewsomStarsKim DelgadoMuhammad AliAngela BassettThis film highlights moments in the long and rich African American cinema history in relation to social and political events, and how it affected black viewers of the time.Available to Stream Now
- StarsWilliam ButlerThis important and timely collection features educational, in-depth introductions to some of the most notable and integral individuals and events that make up Black History.Available to Stream Now
- DirectorMichael LandonStarsStephen R. HudisThe life story of Baseball legend Jackie Robinson.Available to Stream Now
- DirectorAlfred E. GreenStarsJackie RobinsonRuby DeeMinor WatsonBiography of Jackie Robinson, the first black major league baseball player in the 20th century. Traces his career in the negro leagues and the major leagues. Restored in original Black and White.Available to Stream Now
- DirectorCarl JuneLuis LibranStarsIran BarkleyMark BrelandAaron Superman DavisThe 5th King is a compelling first hand account of the rise and fall of one of boxing's legendary fighters from the golden era of boxing. He escaped the major pitfalls of his economic depressed area of South Bronx to become 3-time champ.Available to Stream Now
- DirectorMatthew O. HendersonStarsRick BraunNorman BrownShelea FrazierGrammy Award winner, Kirk Whalum, musically explores the convergence of jazz and gospel infused with rhythm and blues, through live-recorded performances and integrated commentary with musical messages of tribute, tragedy and triumph in response to present-day socio-economic issues-illustrating God's radical hospitality.Available to Stream Now
- DirectorKevin WillmottStarsKip NivenJustin WesleyBlake RobbinsA group of unlikely allies modernized college sports and changed a small Midwestern town, serving as a parallel to the Civil Rights movement that would transform the entire American society.Available to Stream Now
- DirectorJeffrey RadiceStarsEnos CabellDave CashRoberto Clemente Jr.The life and times of major league pitcher Dock Ellis are explored in this revealing documentary.Available to Stream Now
- DirectorAnthony FabianStarsSophie OkonedoSam NeillAlice KrigeBased on the true story of a black girl who was born to two white Afrikaner parents in South Africa during the apartheid era.Available to Stream Now
- DirectorFreida Lee MockStarsJill AbramsonJoe BidenJohn CarrA profile of Anita Hill, the African-American lawyer who challenged Clarence Thomas' nomination to the US Supreme Court and thus exposed the problem of sexual harassment to the world.Available to Stream Now
- StarsJames AveryNathan CarterQuatis TarkingtonThis original, eight-part series documents Black Achievement in American history, its defining role in the growth of the country and its influence on current events.Available to Stream Now
- StarsHenry Louis Gates Jr.Whoopi GoldbergChris TuckerThis 4 part PBS series attempts to trace the roots of 8 guests using genealogy, oral history, family stories, and DNA analysis.Available to Stream Now
- 20136 epsTV-PG8.7 (291)TV Mini SeriesStarsHenry Louis Gates Jr.Vincent BrownBernard E. Powers Jr.Professor Gates describes the history of the African American people by talking to historians, authors, and the people who made history.Available to Stream Now
- DirectorMika KaurismäkiStarsMiriam MakebaBageot BahHarry BelafonteDocumentary about Miriam Makeba.Available to Stream Now
- StarsCicely TysonJason BernardClifford DavidA film about the life and career of the African American abolitionist and slave escape leader, Harriet Tubman.Available to Stream Now
- DirectorShola LynchStarsShirley ChisholmWalter CronkiteGeorge WallaceA documentary on Brooklyn-based Congresswoman Shirley's Chisholm's 1972 presidential bid.Available to Stream Now
- DirectorGardner DoolittleStarsAneva WalkerBessie ColemanIn 1921, aviation pioneer Bessie Coleman arose from the poverty of the Texas cotton fields to capture the hearts of the Black population of America.Available to Stream Now
- DirectorMary MazzioStarsCommonArshay CooperKen AlpartNarrated by Common, this film chronicles the first African American high school rowing team in this country (made up of young men, many of whom were in rival gangs from the West Side of Chicago, coming together to row in the same boat).Available to Stream Now
- DirectorLeon IchasoStarsWood HarrisBilly ZaneDorian HarewoodBiography of Jimi Hendrix perhaps the single most groundbreaking guitarist in the history of rock and roll. Examines Hendrix's life and career both on and off the stage.Available to Stream Now
- DirectorAntoine FuquaStarsBill CosbyJim BrownOssie DavisOne of the most iconic figures in athletic history, Muhammad Ali's incredible story from world champion boxer to inspiring social activist is explored through his own voice and never-before-seen archival material.Available to Rent
- StarsMichael JordanPhil JacksonScottie PippenLed by Michael Jordan, the 1990s Chicago Bulls establish themselves as one of the most notable dynasties in sports history.Available to Rent
- StarsArrianna MarieKierra Sheard-KellyKaren Clark SheardThe Sheards is a reality show which airs on the Black Entertainment Television network, and centered around the Grammy-winning gospel singer Karen Clark Sheard and her family.Available to Rent
- StarsBryshere Y. GrayElijah KelleyLuke JamesChronicles the ups and downs of legendary music group New Edition from their humble beginnings in Boston to individual solo success and everything in between.Available to Rent
- StarsWoody McClainLuke JamesMekhi PhiferThe life story of R&B musician Bobby Brown.Available to Rent
- CreatorPaul RiveraRandy MimsStarsMaverick CarterPaul RiveraLeBron JamesDiscussions and debate in various barbershops around the country featuring some of the biggest names in sport and entertainment.Available to Rent
- StarsJonathan Rhys MeyersMalachi KirbyForest WhitakerAn adaptation of Alex Haley's "Roots." Chronicles the history of an African man and his descendants sold into slavery in America.Available to Rent
- DirectorPeter W. KunhardtA look at the final years in the life of Martin Luther King, Jr.Available to Rent
- StarsSybrina FultonTracy MartinStephanie Fulton SandsAn in-depth look at the origin and aftermath of the 2012 shooting of Trayvon Martin and subsequent trial of George Zimmerman, which sparked a national debate on race relations and revealed a deeply fractured and divided country.Available to Rent
- StarsTiger WoodsPete McDanielSteve WilliamsA look at the life, success and scandals of golf legend Tiger Woods.Available to Rent
- DirectorStanley NelsonStarsRaymond ArsenaultGenevieve HoughtonGordon CareyThe story of the Civil Rights Movement interstate busing protest campaign.Available to Rent
- DirectorSunu GoneraStarsTerrence HowardBernie MacKimberly EliseThe determined Jim Ellis starts a swim team for troubled teens at the Philadelphia Department of Recreation.Available to Rent
- DirectorSpike LeeStarsMichael JacksonJackson 5Berry GordyA look at the life of the late pop star Michael Jackson from his early days at Motown Records to the release of his hit 1979 album, Off the Wall.Available to Rent
- DirectorKevin MacdonaldStarsBob MarleyZiggy MarleyRita MarleyA documentary on the life, music, and legacy of Bob Marley.Available to Rent
- DirectorGregor JordanStarsJoaquin PhoenixAnna PaquinEd HarrisA criminal subculture operates among U.S. soldiers stationed in West Germany just before the fall of the Berlin wall.Available to Rent
- DirectorTom ShadyacStarsAldis HodgeGreg KinnearSherri ShepherdA football player's dreams to play in the NFL are halted when he is wrongly convicted and sent to prison. Years later, he fights to clear his name within an unjust system.Available to Rent
- DirectorWayne BlairStarsChris O'DowdDeborah MailmanJessica MauboyIn 1968, four talented young Australian Aboriginal girls learn about love, friendship, and war when their all-girl group The Sapphires entertains the US troops in Vietnam.Available to Rent
- DirectorSpike LeeStarsMichael JacksonGlen BallardJohn BarnesA documentary on Michael Jackson and the legacy of his record "Bad".Available to Rent
- DirectorJeremy MarreStarsCount BasieDiane BasieGary GiddinsTold in Count Basie's own words, this biography sheds light on the private and family life of the world-famous bandleader and pianist.Available to Rent
- DirectorZatella BeattyStarsAllen IversonTom BrokawLarry BrownIverson is the ultimate legacy of NBA legend Allen Iverson, who rose from a childhood of crushing poverty in Hampton, Virginia, to become an 11-time NBA All-Star and universally recognized icon of his sport. Off the court, his audacious rejection of conservative NBA convention and unapologetic embrace of hip hop culture sent shockwaves throughout the league and influenced an entire generation. Told largely in Iverson's own words, the film charts the career highs and lows of one of the most distinctive and accomplished figures the sport of basketball has ever seen.Available to Rent
- DirectorDawn PorterStarsElijah CummingsAnthony JohnsonHillary ClintonThe film explores Georgia representative's, 60-plus years of social activism and legislative action on civil rights, voting rights, gun control, health care reform, and immigration.Available to Rent
- DirectorMarina ZenovichStarsDavid BanksRona BarrettDavid BrinkleyThe life and times of Richard Pryor.Available to Rent
- DirectorJames TobackStarsMike TysonMills LaneTrevor BerbickA mixture of original interviews, archival footage, and photographs sheds light on the life experiences of Mike Tyson.Available to Rent
- DirectorGotham ChopraStarsKareem Abdul-JabbarJohn S. BattleLarry BirdDocumentary that goes behind the stats to reveal Kobe Bryant's career, exploring the mentorships, allies and rivalries that have helped shape his stellar 18-year tenure in the NBA, and uncovering his greatest personal challenge yet.Available to Rent
- DirectorEzra EdelmanStarsMagic JohnsonLarry BirdSteve SpringerAn exploration of the fierce rivalry between NBA superstars Larry Bird and Magic Johnson during their decade of dominance.Available to Rent
- DirectorJeb BrienStarsLuther VandrossLisa FischerAva CherryRecorded on his 1994-1995 world tour, Always And Forever: An Evening Of Songs At Royal Albert Hall features the legendary Luther Vandross at his most smooth and sensuous, featuring his greatest hits and favorites from his covers album Songs.Available to Rent
- DirectorSpike LeeStarsJohn David WashingtonAdam DriverLaura HarrierRon Stallworth, an African American police officer from Colorado Springs, Colorado, successfully infiltrates the local Ku Klux Klan branch aided by a Jewish surrogate who eventually becomes its leader. Based on actual events.Available to Rent
- DirectorReginald HudlinStarsChadwick BosemanJosh GadKate HudsonThe story of Thurgood Marshall, the crusading lawyer who would become the first African-American Supreme Court Justice, as he battles through one of his career-defining cases.Available to Rent
- DirectorJake GoldbergerStarsCuba Gooding Jr.Dennis HaysbertGeorge DickEx-felon, Eugene Brown, establishes a Chess Club for inner city teenagers in Washington, D.C.Available to Rent
- DirectorPeter CousensStarsCuba Gooding Jr.Sharon LealDavid RascheTwo men separated by 100 years are united in their search for freedom. In 1856, slave Samuel Woodward and his family escape from the Monroe Plantation near Richmond, Virginia. A secret network of ordinary people known as the Underground Railroad guide the family on their journey north to Canada. They are relentlessly pursued by the notorious slave-hunter Plimpton. Hunted like a dog and haunted by the unthinkable suffering he and his forbears have endured, Samuel is forced to decide between revenge or freedom. 100 years earlier in 1748, John Newton the Captain of a slave ship sails from Africa with a cargo of slaves, bound for America. On board is Samuel's great-grandfather, whose survival is tied to the fate of Captain Newton. The voyage changes Newton's life forever and he creates a legacy that will inspire Samuel and the lives of millions for generations to come.Available to Rent
- DirectorMichael MannStarsWill SmithJamie FoxxJon VoightA biography of sports legend Muhammad Ali, focusing on his triumphs and controversies between 1964 and 1974.Available to Rent
- DirectorTerry GeorgeStarsDon CheadleSophie OkonedoJoaquin PhoenixPaul Rusesabagina, a hotel manager, houses over a thousand Tutsi refugees during their struggle against the Hutu militia in Rwanda, Africa.Available to Rent
- DirectorJeff NicholsStarsRuth NeggaJoel EdgertonWill DaltonThe story of Richard and Mildred Loving, a couple whose arrest for interracial marriage in 1960s Virginia began a legal battle that would end with the Supreme Court's historic 1967 decision.Available to Rent
- DirectorKathryn BigelowStarsJohn BoyegaAnthony MackieAlgee SmithFact-based drama set during the 1967 Detroit riots in which a group of rogue police officers respond to a complaint with retribution rather than justice on their minds.Available to Rent
- DirectorSpike LeeStarsDenzel WashingtonAngela BassettDelroy LindoBiographical epic of the controversial and influential Black Nationalist leader, from his early life and career as a small-time gangster, to his ministry as a member of the Nation of Islam and his eventual assassination.Available to Rent
- DirectorJustin ChadwickStarsIdris ElbaNaomie HarrisTerry PhetoA chronicle of Nelson Mandela's life journey from his childhood in a rural village through to his inauguration as the first democratically elected president of South Africa.Available to Rent
- DirectorTaylor HackfordStarsJamie FoxxRegina KingKerry WashingtonThe story of the life and career of the legendary rhythm and blues musician Ray Charles, from his humble beginnings in the South, where he went blind at age seven, to his meteoric rise to stardom during the 1950s and 1960s.Available to Rent
- DirectorLee DanielsStarsForest WhitakerOprah WinfreyJohn CusackAs Cecil Gaines serves eight presidents during his tenure as a butler at the White House, the civil rights movement, Vietnam, and other major events affect this man's life, family, and American society.Available to Rent
- DirectorSteve McQueenStarsChiwetel EjioforMichael Kenneth WilliamsMichael FassbenderIn the antebellum United States, Solomon Northup, a free Black man from upstate New York, is abducted and sold into slavery.Available to Rent
- DirectorRyan CooglerStarsMichael B. JordanMelonie DiazOctavia SpencerThe story of Oscar Grant III, a 22-year-old Bay Area resident, who crosses paths with friends, enemies, family, and strangers on the last day of 2008.Available to Rent
- DirectorTate TaylorStarsChadwick BosemanNelsan EllisDan AykroydA chronicle of James Brown's rise from extreme poverty to become one of the most influential musicians in history.Available to Rent
- DirectorGabriele MuccinoStarsWill SmithThandiwe NewtonJaden SmithA struggling salesman takes custody of his son as he's poised to begin a life-changing professional careerAvailable to Rent
- DirectorKasi LemmonsStarsDon CheadleChiwetel EjioforBruce McFeeThe story of Washington D.C. radio personality Ralph "Petey" Greene, an ex-con who became a popular talk show host and community activist in the 1960s.Available to Rent
- DirectorDenzel WashingtonStarsDenzel WashingtonForest WhitakerKimberly EliseA drama based on the true story of Melvin B. Tolson, a professor at Wiley College Texas. In 1935, he inspired students to form the school's first debate team, which went on to challenge Harvard in the national championship.Available to Rent
- DirectorClint EastwoodStarsMorgan FreemanMatt DamonTony KgorogeNelson Mandela, in his first term as President of South Africa, initiates a unique venture to unite the Apartheid-torn land: enlist the national rugby team on a mission to win the 1995 Rugby World Cup.Available to Rent
- DirectorAmma AsanteStarsDavid OyelowoRosamund PikeTom FeltonThe story of King Seretse Khama of Botswana and how his loving but controversial marriage to a British white woman, Ruth Williams, put his kingdom into political and diplomatic turmoil.Available to Rent
- DirectorMichael TollinStarsCuba Gooding Jr.Ed HarrisDebra WingerThe story of a high school coach and the developmentally challenged man who he took under his wing.Available to Rent
- DirectorRobert MarkowitzStarsLaurence FishburneAllen PayneMalcolm-Jamal WarnerThe true story of how a group of African-American pilots overcame racist opposition to become one of the finest United States fighter groups in World War II.Available to Rent
- DirectorPeter LandesmanStarsWill SmithAlec BaldwinAlbert BrooksIn Pittsburgh, accomplished pathologist Dr. Bennet Omalu uncovers the truth about brain damage in football players who suffer repeated concussions in the course of normal play.Available to Rent
- DirectorClark JohnsonStarsJeffrey WrightTerrence HowardCCH PounderBlack Americans boycott the public buses during the 1950s civil rights movement.Available to Rent
- DirectorGary FlederStarsRob BrownDennis QuaidClancy BrownA drama based on the life of college football hero Ernie Davis, the first African-American to win the Heisman Trophy.Available to Rent
- DirectorJoseph SargentStarsCliff McMullenYasiin BeyLuray CooperA dramatization of the relationship between heart surgery pioneers Alfred Blalock and Vivien Thomas.Available to Rent
- DirectorNorman JewisonStarsDenzel WashingtonVicellous ShannonDeborah Kara UngerThe story of Rubin 'Hurricane' Carter, a boxer wrongly imprisoned for murder, and the people who aided in his fight to prove his innocence.Available to Rent
- DirectorNate ParkerStarsNate ParkerArmie HammerPenelope Ann MillerNat Turner, a literate slave and preacher in the antebellum South, orchestrates an uprising.Available to Rent
- DirectorTim StoryStarsForest WhitakerIsaiah WashingtonShad MossAl, a basketball coach at a New Orleans high school, finally has a winning team when Hurricane Katrina happens. He tries to build a winning team anew after the hurricane.Available to Rent
- DirectorBrian HelgelandStarsChadwick BosemanT.R. KnightHarrison FordIn 1947, Jackie Robinson becomes the first African-American to play in Major League Baseball in the modern era when he was signed by the Brooklyn Dodgers and faces considerable racism in the process.Available to Rent
- DirectorKasi LemmonsStarsCynthia ErivoJanelle MonáeLeslie Odom Jr.The extraordinary tale of Harriet Tubman's escape from slavery and transformation into one of America's greatest heroes, whose courage, ingenuity, and tenacity freed hundreds of slaves and changed the course of history.Available to Rent
- DirectorTheodore MelfiStarsTaraji P. HensonOctavia SpencerJanelle MonáeThe story of a team of female African-American mathematicians who served a vital role in NASA during the early years of the U.S. space program.Available to Rent
- DirectorF. Gary GrayStarsO'Shea Jackson Jr.Corey HawkinsJason MitchellThe rap group NWA emerges from the mean streets of Compton in Los Angeles, California, in the mid-1980s and revolutionizes Hip Hop culture with their music and tales about life in the hood.Available to Rent
- DirectorDestin Daniel CrettonStarsMichael B. JordanJamie FoxxBrie LarsonWorld-renowned civil rights defense attorney Bryan Stevenson works to free a wrongly condemned death row prisoner.Available to Rent
- DirectorAva DuVernayStarsDavid OyelowoCarmen EjogoOprah WinfreyA chronicle of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s campaign to secure equal voting rights via an epic march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama, in 1965.Available to Rent
- DirectorRobin BissellStarsTaraji P. HensonSam RockwellBabou CeesayCivil rights activist Ann Atwater faces off against C.P. Ellis, Exalted Cyclops of the Ku Klux Klan, in 1971 Durham, North Carolina over the issue of school integration.Available to Rent
- DirectorMark AminStarsMykelti WilliamsonJames CromwellBruce DernAn escaped slave travels north and has chance encounters with Frederick Douglass and John Brown. Based on the life story of Shields Green.Available to Rent
- DirectorThomas CarterStarsSamuel L. JacksonRick GonzalezRobert Ri'chardControversy surrounds high school basketball coach Ken Carter after he benches his entire team for breaking their academic contract with him.Available to Rent
- DirectorJohn G. AvildsenStarsMorgan FreemanBeverly ToddRobert GuillaumeThe dedicated but tyrannical Joe Clark is appointed the principal of a decaying inner-city school he is determined to improve by any and all means.Available to Rent