Anti-racism Resources: Movies & Films

Combining archival footage with testimony from activists and scholars, director Ava DuVernay's examination of the U.S. prison system looks at how the country's history of racial inequality drives the high rate of incarceration in America.

Artists and activists assemble to learn, to heal, and to raise awareness for the Equal Justice Initiative.

Academics, athletes, and more engage in discussions about fighting systemic racism.

Based on the best-selling novel, The Hate U Give tells the story of Starr Carter, who lives in two worlds: the poor, black neighborhood where she resides and the mostly white prep school she attends. This uneasy balance is shattered when she witnesses the fatal shooting of her childhood friend by a policeman. Facing pressures from all sides, Starr must find her voice and stand up for what’s right.

Authors, experts, and parents share how to have challenging conversations about racism with children.

A powerful and thoughtprovoking true story, “Just Mercy” follows young lawyer Bryan Stevenson (Jordan) and his history-making battle for justice. After graduating from Harvard, Bryan had his pick of lucrative jobs. Instead, he heads to Alabama to defend those wrongly condemned or who were not afforded proper representation, with the support of local advocate Eva Ansley (Larson). One of his first, and most incendiary, cases is that of Walter McMillian (Foxx), who, in 1987, was sentenced to die for the notorious murder of an 18-year-old girl, despite a preponderance of evidence proving his innocence and the fact that the only testimony against him came from a criminal with a motive to lie. In the years that follow, Bryan becomes embroiled in a labyrinth of legal and political maneuverings and overt and unabashed racism as he fights for Walter, and others like him, with the odds—and the system—stacked against them.

Over twenty-five years after the verdict in the Rodney King trial sparked several days of protests and violence in Los Angeles, LA92 immerses viewers in that tumultuous period through stunning and rarely-seen footage. Produced by Oscar winner Simon Chinn and Emmy winner Jonathan Chinn and directed by Oscar winners Dan Lindsay and TJ Martin, the film brings a fresh perspective to a pivotal moment and adds perspective to what we are seeing in the world today.

Moving renditions of the turn-of-the-century poem that has become the "Black national anthem."

The annual celebration of the end of slavery arrives with particular resonance in 2020.

From the Oscar-winning producers of 12 Years a Slave and acclaimed director Ava DuVernay comes the true story of courage and hope that changed the world forever. Golden Globe nominee David Oyelowo shines as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. who rallied his followers on the historic march from Selma to Montgomery in the face of violent opposition an event that became a milestone victory for the civil rights movement. Oscar nominees Oprah Winfrey and Tom Wilkinson also star in this landmark film.

Prominent voices from history address civil rights in speeches and interviews that remain relevant today.

These educational videos offer perspective on the origins of systemic racism in America.