
15 Culturally Relevant Movies To Watch During Black History Month

I think it's pretty fair to say that we are living in times, likely for the first time in history, where the culture is controlling the narrative of how TF we expect to be represented...that is, if you don't want smoke, of course. After all, we drive pop culture, we make everything relevant, and basically the world would be lost if we ever decided to put up gatekeepers around our blackness (let's work on this btw). Music, television, and most of all, movies, are creative expression for us. And fortunately somewhere along the lines, they're even intersecting (see: Beyonce).
But here's the thing: for so long, our creative expression wasn't FUBU. It was all a facade, all based on Hollywood derivatives where, although these were very important stories to be told, like...we've told that story. We've been there, done that.
Oooo. A slave. A maid. A gangbanger. Shocker.
But listen, we. want. more. We want the fairy tales. We want to know what kind of family man Fred Hampton was. We want our kids to see themselves in superheroes, or to see that there is an absolute sheer brilliance in understanding how to professionally play a sport. We want to be the victor in a scenario that we control, and damnit, we are tired of seeing the black dude be the one who dies first! So, let's skip our historic trauma for this one. Here's 15 culturally relevant movies to watch during Black History Month (that have nothing to do with racism):
Disclaimer: unfortunately, the honest truth is that Black history is rooted in racism, no matter how much we don't want it to be. So, although these movies may have moments in them where racial themes are touched upon, these movies are not about race.
Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey
Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey is the refreshing movie about a black Christmas, and a black family. It's a Christmas journey, complete with singing, dancing, positive themes, and even Afrobeats. It offers such fantasy in the most amazing way. I was so overwhelmed by what this movie meant for the culture, that by the end, the emotions were flowing. Excited to see this one on Broadway in the future.
Where to watch: Netflix
Cooley High
Cooley High is a staple. It's about being young in Chicago in the 70's, and the adversity they face. You find yourself super attached to the characters, hoping they don't fall victim to our challenges.
As the queen Lauryn Hill once beautifully said, "Cause we fortified, I could never hide, seen Cooley High,
Cried when Cochise..." #teamnospoilers
If you haven't seen this one yet, go, go, go.
Where to watch: YouTube
Why Do Fools Fall In Love
Why Do Fools Fall In Love is one of the first movies that tells the complicated life story of young legend, Frankie Lymon. Played to the MAX by the amazing Larenz Tate, it's set in the 1950's, a time when the ongoing race war was at its usual level of intensity. But this movie is nothing about racism. With a brilliant cast that consists of Lela Rachon, Vivica A. Fox, and Halle Berry, this dramedy is worth every minute.
Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video
Sylvie's Love
Sylvie's Love tells the story of love and soulmates in an era where Hollywood tends to focus on the usual. It's one of the first of its kind introduced to this generation. It's our version of The Notebook, our period piece on love. And the acting is beautifully done by Tessa Thompson, Nnamdi Asomugha, and Aja Naomi King.
Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video
Dreamgirls
Dreamgirls tells the story of Deena (Beyonce), Effie (Jennifer Hudson) and Lorell (Anika Noni Rose), who were recruited by Curtis Taylor (Jamie Foxx) to be background singers for a famous entertainer (Eddie Murphy). As the group becomes popular, one star is pushed to the front, forcing another one out. The cast is brilliant, the acting is brilliant. The story is (allegedly) about a very popular group in Motown, *cough* The Supremes *cough* and their record label exec *cough* Berry Gordy *cough*, but whether based on a true story or not, the history of this movie, play, and more, was brought to life on the big screen as a must-see.
Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video
DOPE
Dope is about a good kid (Shameik Moore) with aspirations of Harvard, that gets caught up in an eventful day, as it showcases how easily one little decision can make you a criminal, despite your extremely high expectations for yourself. The music is dope (pun intended), the wardrobe and acting are bomb. Just an all-around good movie. Give it a watch.
Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video
House Party
Not much more can be said about this cult classic, we already know that it's a cultural must-see. But House Party, originally released in 1990, still rings true to this day *hits Kid 'n Play dance*
Throw this one on. For the culture.
Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video
She's Gotta Have It (1986)
Nola Darling! She's Gotta Have It is a black-and-white comedy-drama film written, produced, edited and directed by Spike Lee. It's the original that the recent Netflix reboot is based on. The lead, Nola (Tracy Camilla Johns) can't decide what kind of man (or woman) she wants to date, so she decides to date three at the same time. She's sexually liberated, she knows herself...or does she?
Where to watch: Netflix
Crooklyn
And speaking of Spike Lee, another classic is none other than Crooklyn! An amazing movie that doesn't have a major storyline, or a lot of car-flipping action. It's just a Brooklyn family in the '70's, making it the best way they know how. There's so many gems throughout, and the soundtrack is what you need in your life.
Where to watch: Hulu
Cinderella (1997)
Brandy Norwood and Whitney Houston as the first black Disney characters.
That's it. That's the sentence.
Where to watch: Coming the Disney+ (finally) on February 12!
Dolemite Is My Name
OK, hear me out: Rudy Ray Moore is responsible for every single one of your favorite comedians' careers. He is a pioneer in this, which is why his 2019 biopic starring Eddie Murphy is so important to the culture. Dolemite is a reboot (somewhat) but it tells the journey of the brash, vulgar stand-up humorist--from his humble start, all the way to directing, producing, and promoting his own movies. This one got some buzz in Hollywood's award circuit, even earning Golden Globe and Oscar nominations.
Where to watch: Netflix
20 Feet from Stardom
So this movie may be unexpected, but here's why it's here: so many women in the industry, have a story to tell. This one specifically hands the mic to black women to detail their journeys of singing behind some of the biggest names in music. A few of the ladies profiled in 20 Feet from Stardom eventually emerged as artists, but their process was anything but easy. Triumph is a major theme for this Oscar-winning docu-movie. Oh, and a few of the stories will push your wig back.
Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video
Coming To America
I don't think I need to explain the cultural relevance of this one. I'll just go watch instead.
Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video
Da 5 Bloods
Da 5 Bloods is a movie, m'kay!? It's about five Vietnam War vets who come back together in Vietnam for the first time since, to take care of the unfinished business of seeking the remains of their fallen squad leader and the gold fortune he helped them hide. It stars Delroy Lindo, Jonathan Majors, Clarke Peters, Norm Lewis, and of course, Chadwick Boseman. It's refreshing, it's quirky--it's every emotion--but ultimately, it's a story never told before. And that's why it's relevant.
Where to watch: Netflix
And of course...Black Panther
And speaking of Chadwick, the ultimate culturally relevant movie is definitely this one. The impact of Black Panther is immeasurable, and the visuals matches the impacts fly. It's identifying with T'Challa AND Killmonger, and, to be frank, white people not really understanding why. Forever thankful for Ryan Coogler's vision.
Where to watch: Disney+
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'Sistas' Star Skyh Black On The Power Of Hypnotherapy & Emotional Vulnerability For Men
In this insightful episode of the xoMAN podcast, host Kiara Walker talked with Sistas star Skyh Black, as he opened up about his journey of emotional growth, resilience, and self-discovery. The episode touches on emotional availability, self-worth, masculinity, and the importance of therapy in overcoming personal struggles.
Skyh Black on Emotional Availability & Love
On Emotional Availability & Vulnerability
“My wife and I wouldn't be where we are today if both of us weren't emotionally available,” he shared about his wife and Sistas co-star KJ Smith, highlighting the value of vulnerability and emotional openness in a relationship. His approach to masculinity stands in contrast to the traditional, stoic ideals. Skyh is not afraid to embrace softness as part of his emotional expression.
On Overcoming Self-Doubt & Worthiness Issues
Skyh reflected on the self-doubt and worthiness issues that he struggled with, especially early in his career. He opens up about his time in Los Angeles, living what he calls the “LA struggle story”—in a one-bedroom with three roommates—and being homeless three times over the span of 16 years. “I always had this self-sabotaging thought process,” Skyh said. “For me, I feel therapy is essential, period. I have a regular therapist and I go to a hypnotherapist.”
How Therapy Helped Him Heal From Self-Doubt
On Hypnotherapy & Empowering Self-Acceptance
Skyh’s journey is a testament to the power of tapping into self-development despite life’s struggles and being open to growth. “I had to submit to the fact that God was doing good in my life, and that I'm worthy of it. I had a worthiness issue and I did not realize that. So, that’s what the hypnotherapy did. It brought me back to the core. What is wrong so that I can fix it?”
Watch the full podcast episode below:
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How A Group Chat Became A Game-Changer For Empowering Black Professionals In Sports
In 2016, Shaina Wiel started a simple group chat with friends and colleagues in the New York sports industry. What began as a space for professionals of color in sports to share resources and opportunities blossomed into the Minorities in Sports Business Network, a thriving community of more than 1,000 members and a full-fledged company shaping the future of sports business.
Shaina, who has held roles at companies including ESPN and the NBA and has taught strategic sports marketing at esteemed institutions like Georgetown University, officially launched the network as a business in 2019. Since then, it’s hosted high-impact events like the Toast to Black Sports luncheon during Super Bowl weekend and built student chapters at both HBCUs and PWIs to pipeline underrepresented talent into the industry.
She shared with xoNecole more on the early days of launch, the turning point that made her realize she had a platform with real influence, and what keeps her going. With 17 years of experience across agencies, teams, and networks, Shaina is proof that grassroots efforts can turn into transformative change—especially when backed by passion, vision, and community.
xoNecole: How did the Minorities In Sports Business Network come to life?
Shaina Wiel: So, I just started the group chat and added a few of my friends who work in the industry as well. We were all kind of in New York at the same time working in the sports space… Very quickly over the next few years, the chat grew to over 800 individuals within the chat. Then, we had over 1000 individuals.
xoN: What was your ‘aha’ moment to expand?
SW: I noticed a bunch of employees from the Big Four leagues— NFL, NBA, NHL, MLB— within my group chat had all started posting roles. And when I asked, 'What is going on? Why are there so many posting jobs within the group chat?' I was told that HR had sent a note to their Black Employee Resource Group and had told them they had heard about this group chat.
That's when I realized, ‘Okay, this is more than, you know, my little friend group chat. Let's see if we can turn this into an actual business. And then in summer, 2019 I decided to do this full time.
Brittany Dacoff
xoN: What was the transition like growing the group chat into a full platform offering membership perks like access to job listings, networking opportunities and more?
SW: I was working at an agency, and the agency had lost their account. It was the account that I was working on. So they were like, you know, we can try to find another or we can separate. I decided to leave. And then, as we know, COVID happened, which actually was a blessing in disguise.
I was able to really focus on building the vision with this group chat and turning it into an actual company, seeing what works, seeing things from an events and a relationship standpoint, in terms of like, how we were interacting with different partners from different companies, and actually turning that into something substantial that could last.
xoN: Speaking of events, talk more about what inspired the Toast to Black Sports event you held earlier this year during the Super Bowl. Why is it important?
SW: This was the second year. There are so many dope people of color, specifically Black people, who work in this industry who are just doing the work behind the scenes. They’re not getting their flowers. I took it upon myself to say, I want to celebrate you. We’ve honored Kimberly Fields, Esq. of the NFL, Kevin Warren, CEO of the Chicago Bears, sports executive Jason Wright, sports and entertainment vet Carmen Green-Wilson, and NFL coach Jennifer King—all of whom have made major contributions to the industry.
xoN: What do you enjoy most about your role today?
SW: I think the work that I enjoy the most, honestly, is with our college students. We have 12 chapters across different colleges and universities. We help eliminate some of the barriers a lot of us had coming out of college. What I love seeing is that we have students who are now looking at roles they never even thought of.
xoN: What’s a bit of career advice for women breaking into the sports industry?
SW: I would say, build relationships. That’s really it: Build authentic relationships. Make sure it's a give and take and that you're supporting other people because once you're building those relationships, then it's a lot easier to either get into a space or to have those conversations when you want to do something.
And always be willing and ready to do the work.
Featured image by Hosea Johnson