Netflix Shows and Films that Highlight Racism

Tara Mahon
Jun 5, 2020
3 min read

After the horrifying murder of George Floyd at the hands of the Minneapolis police, protests have been taking place in every state of America, as well as, numerous countries worldwide to fight for justice and to support the Black Lives Matter movement. As the world has erupted in anger and sadness, people have been doing everything they can to support the black community and those that face racism everyday. Educating people who have turned a blind eye to believe the extent of racism and police brutality, those that have never experienced racism first hand, or allies that want to learn more, is key to ensure this tragic event, along with the numerous other murders of black people worldwide, does not keep happening.

Below are shows and films available on Netflix that are based around the topic of race and racism that highlight the hardships that so many people have experienced, and continue to experience everyday.

Links to donate and sign petitions are also included below.

1. Becoming: Former First Lady, Michelle Obama, discusses her latest book, as well as what her life was like growing up as a black woman and how her life changed once she moved into the White House.

2. When They See Us: Based on the true case of the ‘Central Park Five’ in 1989, five young boys of colour are arrested and encouraged forcefully by the police to confess to the rape of a woman that they had no connection to. This film follows the story of their arrests and convictions of a crime they did not commit.

3. 12 Years a Slave: This film portrays what life was like for a freeborn black man that was abducted, sold into slavery, suffered tremendous abuse, and attempted to escape from his plantation numerous times. It is based on the autobiography of Solomon Northup.

4. 13th: This documentary is based on the disproportionately of black people in American prisons, as well as the inequality that black people experience due to their race. Scholars, activists and politicians share their opinions on the matter.

5. The Death and Life of Marsha P. Johnson: Marsha P. Johnson was a hugely popular figure within the gay rights movement and fought against the violence of trans women. As a black woman, she experienced not only racial inequality, but also injustices as a member of the LGBT community. After her body was found in the Hudson River, police called her death a suicide, but those closest to her believe otherwise.

6. Teach Us All: This documentary looks at segregation in public schools across America. Decades after the Brown vs. Board of Education Supreme court decision, the issue of segregation should not be happening, but is still prominent today in the US. According to this film, politicians and activists and working to change this.

7. Strong Island: This documentary looks at the murder of a young black man called William Ford Jr. with his brother as the filmmaker. Showing how the justice system in America fails black people, this film deals with racial inequality and community in the emotional telling of Ford’s murder.

8. Orange is the New Black: This series dealt with multiple issues within the justice system, including how prison officers abuse their power. One storyline showed the killing of a black inmate, Poussey Washington, after a prison guard suffocated her by kneeling on her back.

9. Homecoming: A look behind the formation Beyoncé’s Coachella performance in 2018, which has since been described as a cultural movement.

10. The Innocence Files: This series looks at the true cases of eight individuals that were wrongly convicted of crimes they did not commit. It highlights the injustice of the American justice system and how they and their families fought for their freedom.