It’s February, which means it’s officially the start of Black History Month. Yes, every month should be Black History Month because we should always be learning and educating ourselves about history. However, because emphasis on said history is during February, I feel it’s only right that I acknowledge it with a specific post.
There is, understandably, a plethora of resources and literature on various black history topics, which means there is no way to make a definitive list. However, I wanted to share the films, music, and books that I believe all tell a significant aspect of black history. The following are the five essential films, albums, and books I think everyone should watch, listen to and read this month.
Films
- The Color Purple – We all remember the catch-phrases and memorable moments. But at its core, The Color Purple is a celebration of the strength of black women and a tale of sisterhood – familial and other. Heartbreaking, heartwarming, and timeless, The Color Purple is a must-watch for everyone at least once in your lifetime.
- Malcolm X – For many years and generations, Malcolm X stood as a complex and complicated figure of the civil rights movement. Some viewed him as angry, too militant, while others considered him righteous and misunderstood. The film Malcolm X, adapted from Alex Haley’s equally brilliant The Autobiography of Malcolm X, finds Spike Lee at his directorial best, creating a formidable, yet nuanced film made all the better with one of the finest acting performances by Denzel Washington.
- Do the Right Thing – Another Spike Lee Joint, Do the Right Thing is particularly relevant right now in the wake of the Black Lives Matter protests that have swept the world. Set against the backdrop of a hot, sweltering Brooklyn summer day, the film tells the story of how one incident of racial injustice lights a match that helps bring to the forefront long-held racial tensions and animosities that had been simmering in the community. Not unlike the reaction to the murder of George Floyd.
- Hidden Figures – The erasure of black and brown people from the history books has been a long-standing point of discussion. And it is just one of the reasons this film is a must-see. The simple truth is not many knew the names Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughn, and Mary Jackson concerning the first moon landing. And were it not for the work of Margot Lee Shetterly, the source material for the film, we may still not know about their legacy.
- BlacKKKlansman – A black police officer, in the 1970s, with the help of his Jewish partner, infiltrates the Ku Klux Klan. This probably sounds like the setup for a Dave Chappelle skit. Instead, it’s the very true story of Officer Ron Stallworth, as told in the film BlacKKlansman. Depicted with a biting wit and absurd humor, the film reminds us of the very frightening and disturbing history of the KKK and white supremacy in general, but more importantly, how the seeds that were previously sewn continues to exist today.
Albums
- What’s Going On? by Marvin Gaye – Inspired by various acts of civil unrest at the time, Marvin Gaye’s What’s Going On stands the test of time as one the seminal social justice albums of the late 60’s – early 70s era. The album explored a range of social topics that sadly are all too prevalent today – police brutality, racial injustice, poverty and economic disparity, and more. What’s Going On is an excellent album for understanding what was happening across the U.S. during that era and what is, in many ways, still happening.
- Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music by Ray Charles – A black performer, in the 1960s, reworks classic songs written and previously performed by white artists and makes it his own. Flip the script on this – white artist performs songs written by black artists and it would have been just another day in the recording industry at that time. The former was unheard of. But it’s exactly what Ray Charles did. He made the sounds of country and western music his own and did it brilliantly while earning immense commercial and critical success.
- Legend by Bob Marley and The Wailers – The compilation of Bob Marley’s, along with The Wailers, greatest hits, Legend is truly a summation of the black man and woman’s story. Everything from slavery, colonialism, identity, self-love, national pride, and more. It is essential listening for everyone.
- The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill by Lauryn Hill – Was it a fluke, a flash in the pan, a case of shining too bright too fast? Whatever the case may be for why we never again received such a masterpiece from her, we are eternally grateful for the one she did create. Mixing R&B, Soul, Funk, Reggae, and fierce Rap flow, Hill delivered a powerful odyssey of the black woman’s story. Love, hurt, sex, motherhood, and sexuality all blended into one against a backdrop of finding one’s voice.
- I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You by Aretha Franklin – The album that launched Ms. Franklin’s career into the stratosphere. Bold, brash, confident, and passionate, her voice soared as she sang about love, respect, social change, and more. The ultimate power of I Never Loved a Man… is the strength and confidence Aretha exuded for a time when women of color, in particular, were meant to or made to feel anything but small, weaker, and cowed.
Books
- The Fire Next Time by James Baldwin – Written in the format of two letters, The Fire Next Time is an intense exploration of race and racial identity, particularly for a black man in America. The first letter is Baldwin writing to his nephew on the 100th anniversary of Emancipation and the second, is an examination of race and religion via the intersection of the black Christian church and the growing Islamic movement of the 60s. Both are told with stark and unapologetic honesty and grit that is a hallmark of much of Baldwin’s work.
- Roots: The Saga of an American Family by Alex Haley – We’ve probably all seen at least part of the epic 1977 television miniseries adaptation of the film. And it’s a worthy adaptation. However, you know what say, the book is usually better than the film, and it’s definitely worth giving this one a read. The story of Kunta Kinte, Roots help put a personal face to the history of millions of African American descendants of slavery.
- The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander – There’s an expression that’s used by many black people – “slavery’s not over, it’s just now called the prison system”. And this is the impetus of Alexander’s The New Jim Crow that meticulously and brilliantly traces the intersection of slavery, the Jim Crow era, mass incarceration of black men, and racism. This is an essential read for anyone trying to understand the core of the police reform movement, which is integral to the Black Lives Matter movement.
- The Black Woman, An Anthology by Toni Cade Bambara – Drawing on a collective of strong female voices, some of whom became groundbreaking successes in their own right, e.g. Alice Walker, The Black Woman is a collection of poems, essays, and short stories that explores a wide array of themes that affect black women in unique ways. Everything from race and body image, sex, politics, economic disparity, and more.
- A Promised Land by Barack Obama – Whether or not you are a fan of his policies or believe he could have and should have done more during his 8 years as the leader of the free world, what is undisputed, is that the former President holds a distinction no one else does. As the first black, and person of color in general, to hold the office of the President of the United States of America, Barack Obama’s journey is unique to that of any other former president. On one hand, he was theoretically at one point the most powerful man in the country and perhaps the world, and yet, on the other hand, he was still a black man in America, occupying a space that had thus far only been reserved for white people. And that alone makes his a fascinating story and one worth telling.
PoPnOgR@PhY 