Movies to watch with your kids during Black History Month

Currently, as Americans we find ourselves in a time of racial tension. In February, we celebrate Black History Month which invites us to teach our children about both, the pain & the great victories of African Americans across History. 

I feel that my job as a parent, personally is to show & try my hardest to show my children this part of history. I love a resource such as movies that show our children these things, bringing things to life outside of a book for them to see & hear in way that is much more real this day in age. 


Not every movie I have listed helps teach history, influence & great cultural impact that so many African Americans have made. But, they do have strong leading roles by an African American & I think that is just as important to being showing our children!

These movies, are great any month, but I really encourage you sit down & watch them with your kiddos before the end of the month!

A few of the movies I listed below I added a few notes I myself, would want to know when checking out a movie I was going to watch with my girls. I, however, know that not everyone cares about the same things I do when it comes to language. So feel free to do what you wish with that info. As always, I suggest looking any movie you may want to know more about on commonsensemedia.org.


I love Kevin Hart so much. This special on Netflix is funny & entertaining. It had the girls & I laughing & kept us entertained! There is funny re-enactments, puppets. It is packed with alot of information & it does it in the most corny way. 



If your new here, we love all things American Girl. We love all the stories that they bring with some of the dolls. & love even more when there is a movie to show it. This movie is about a little girl named Melody & how she creatively got through a racial violent time in her young life. I love how it shows her sticking up for what she believes in despite her age. I loved her & her mothers conversations. Everything about the movie I was glad my girls got to witness in this movie.




I always suggest this movie to be a movie you sit down & watch with your children..with your daughters. But, I feel it strikes even more meaning during Black History Month. Based on a true story it follows 3 African American women & their journey in working for NASA. This movie started so many conversations with my girls. I profoundly remember, Kensley so utterly confused about one of the women going so far away to the bathroom. This movie does not sugar coat racism in the 1950s but does in away that children can still watch & witness. 
This movies contains some salty language that can turn some parents heads in certain households. But it is still well within the rating of PG. For me, it was very easy to look over in the contents of what this movie is about.



Akeelah and the Bee       PG
This is a great story about a young girl who overcomes all odds against her. She stands up for herself & facing her fears. This movie contains a couple of foul language words a few times. Overall, I feel the message looks over those. But do feel they were not needed to be able to tell this story.



This movie is about obviously, Gabby Douglas. An African American, now Olympian. It tells the story of her struggles & how she got to be a Olympian. We know how her story ends, but her story to get there is inspiring for any to watch, especially for those of whoms children are in sports.