Black History Month

Nine Movies, Podcasts, and Books to Check Out for Black History Month and Beyond

From all things Black culture to noteworthy movies, here is an assortment of movies, podcasts, and books about Black history that you should check out right now!

Podcasts

Code Switch

This weekly podcast covers all things race and culture. NPR describes this podcast as “the fearless conversations about race that you’ve been waiting for! Hosted by journalists of color, our podcast tackles the subject of race head-on. We explore how it impacts every part of society — from politics and pop culture to history, sports, and everything in between. This podcast makes ALL OF US part of the conversation — because we’re all part of the story.”

Still Processing

Still Processing follows discussions between two New York Times culture writers, Wesley Morris and Jenna Wortham, as they navigate the realms of TV, movies, art, music, and the internet in present-day America. This insightful podcast is sure to put a smile on your face and make you see things from a different perspective.

Strong Black Lead

If you are looking to learn more about diversity in Hollywood, Strong Black Lead is the podcast you need to be listening to. This show commemorates the best of Black Hollywood, spotlighting legends that have spearheaded the fight for equal representation in the film industry.

Side Hustle Pro

Side Hustle Pro is a podcast that highlights powerful Black female entrepreneurs that have converted their side hustles into profitable businesses. This inspiring podcast is a must-listen for all the business majors out there or just anyone seeking a boost of motivation.

Movies

13th

Moving onto films, 13th is an award-winning documentary that delves into the history of racial inequality in the United States. The film focuses on our nation’s issue with the mass incarceration of African Americans. 13th is available to stream on Netflix and for free on YouTube.

Paris is Burning

Paris is Burning is available to view on Kanopy, which is free with a BU email address. This documentary “focuses on drag queens living in New York City and their ‘house’ culture, which provides a sense of community and support for the flamboyant and often socially shunned performers. Groups from each house compete in elaborate balls that take cues from the world of fashion. Also touching on issues of racism and poverty, the film features interviews with a number of renowned drag queens, including Willi Ninja, Pepper LaBeija, and Dorian Corey.”

I Am Not Your Negro

This documentary chronicles James Baldwin’s unfinished book and explores racism through the lens of civil rights leaders Medgar Evers, Malcolm X, and Martin Luther King, Jr. I Am Not Your Negro is available to stream on Netflix and Amazon Prime Video.

Books

Finish the Fight by Veronica Chambers and the staff of the New York Times

Finish the Fight is a book celebrating the names that propelled the fight for women’s suffrage. This book highlights all of the women you don’t learn about in history class, but who made tremendous contributions that have pushed society forward.

Four Hundred Souls coedited by Ibram X. Kendi

This newly released book is summarized as follows: “Four Hundred Souls is a unique one-volume ‘community’ history of African Americans. The editors, Ibram X. Kendi and Keisha N. Blain have assembled ninety brilliant writers, each of whom takes on a five-year period of that four-hundred-year span. The writers explore their periods through a variety of techniques: historical essays, short stories, personal vignettes, and fiery polemics. They approach history from various perspectives: through the eyes of towering historical icons or the untold stories of ordinary people; through places, laws, and objects. While themes of resistance and struggle, of hope and reinvention, course through the book, this collection of diverse pieces from ninety different minds, reflecting ninety different perspectives, fundamentally deconstructs the idea that Africans in America are a monolith—instead it unlocks the startling range of experiences and ideas that have always existed within the community of Blackness.”