Windows to the Past: 6 Documentaries to Watch for Black History Month

Editor’s Note: PlanetOIT’s month-long celebration of Black History Month continues this week as we look at documentaries that connect us to the past. 

Documentaries can open windows to our past. Through the lens of talented filmmakers, we can relive iconic moments in history like the 1963 March on Washington or climb aboard a Greyhound bus to join the Freedom Riders on their journey through the Jim Crow South. 

Documentaries offer rich insights into our society and culture, connect us to some of our proudest and most shameful moments in American history, and remind us of how far we’ve come. 

Here is a short list of powerful documentaries exploring Black history and culture in America and where you find them:

• The African Americans: Many Rivers to Cross (PBS)
• 13^th (Netflix)
• Freedom Riders: 1961 and the Struggle for Racial Justice (PBS)
• Slavery by Another Name (PBS and YouTube)
• Breaking the Huddle: The Integration of College Football (HBO)
• The Loving Story (HBO)

Next week, we’ll look at some special dramas and docu-series that chronicles memorable moments in the Black history, and we’ll offer suggested readings from African American authors.