CeleBrate Black Art

Honoring Black Heritage and Dreaming of Black Futures

Black communities have always, and will always, shape American culture and history. Celebrating Black history means honoring the ancestors who have paved the way – in government, organizing, advocacy, research, music, film, innovation, and more – time and time again, to get us where we are today. 

Celebrating Black history means celebrating Black art. We curated a collection of essential Black media and culture to read, watch and listen to.

Titles were selected by LDF President and Director-Counsel Janai Nelson.

Books

Podcasts

Empire City: The Untold Origin Story of the NYPD

Higher Learning with Van Lathan and Rachel Lindsay

Jemele Hill is Unbothered

Justice Above All: Thurgood Marshall Institute Podcase

Native Land Pod

The Wonder of Stevie

Unnamed and Unbound: Black Voters Matter Podcast

Film and Television

Abbott Elementary

Created by Quinta Brunson (2021)

BlacKkKlansman

Directed by Spike Lee

Black Ice

Starring P.K. Subban (2022)

Black Panther

Directed by Ryan Coogler starring Chadwick Boseman and Michael B Jordan (2018)

Brick City

Produced by Forest Whitaker, Mark Benjamin, and Marc Levin (2009)

Diarra from Detroit

Created by Diarra Kilpatrick (2024)

Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai

Starring Forest Whitaker (1999)

Homecoming: A Film by Beyonce

Starring Beyonce (2019)

I Am Not Your Negro

James Baldwin documentary (2022)

Insecure

Created by Issa Rae (2016-2021)

Judas and the Black Messiah

Directed by Shaka King (2021)

Kemba

Directed by Shaka King (2021)

Lowndes County And The Road To Black Power

Featuring Stokley Carmichael/Kwame Ture, Fannie Lou Hamer, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and others (2022)

Origin

Directed by Ava DuVernay (2023)

Pariah

Directed by Dee Rees (2011)

Reasonable Doubt

Created by Raamla Mohamed (2022)

Rosewood

Directed by John Singleton (1997)

Sankofa

Directed by Haile Gerima (1993)

Summer of Soul

Directed by Questlove (2021)

The Six Triple Eight

Directed by Tyler Perry (2024)

Watchmen

Starring Regina King (2019)

The Wiz

Starring Diana Ross (1978)

Music

Honoring Black Heritage and Dreaming of Black Futures Playlist

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