These are the 5 best documentaries to watch this | TV Shows

February marks Black History Month, a time to commemorate the achievements, historical past, and contributions of people of African and Caribbean descent.

While the month is now celebrated globally, it started in the United States and was first noticed as a week-long celebration in 1926, after the “Father of Black History,” historian Carter G. Woodson, co-founded the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History.

Woodson believed there needs to be a week to have a good time the achievements of Black people in America and therefore based “Negro History Week” in the second week of February, coinciding with the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass.

However, in 1976, President Gerald Ford formally expanded the observance to the total month of February during the nation’s Bicentennial, urging Americans to honor the “too-often neglected accomplishments of Black Americans.”

And, 50 years on, the United States continues to use February as a month to bear in mind the African diaspora and the achievements of the Black group across America.

And with it being Black History Month, it is the good time to have a good time the unbelievable Black documentaries launched over the past few years.

So, from true crime to an investigation into racial inequality in the US, these are the most highly effective and important documentaries to watch this Black History Month from the twenty first century.

thirteenth – Netflix

thirteenth is a 2016 documentary directed by Ava DuVernay, named for the thirteenth Amendment to the US Constitution, which abolished slavery and involuntary servitude.

In her documentary, DuVernay focuses on a vital “loophole” in the modification: slavery is prohibited “except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted.”

thirteenth, which has 97% on Rotten Tomatoes, then argued that this clause has been used throughout trendy historical past, including today, to justify the continued enslavement of Black Americans through different means, evolving from convict leasing and Jim Crow legal guidelines to modern-day mass incarceration.

Descendant – Netflix

Directed by Margaret Brown, Descendant is a critically acclaimed documentary that follows the search for and discovery of the Clotilda, the last recognized ship to illegally transport enslaved Africans to the United States.

The documentary focuses on how the story of the Clotilda was dismissed as a “myth” by outsiders until the wreck was discovered in 2019, but was meticulously preserved by the descendants through oral storytelling.

Furthermore, it seems to be into how the survivors of the journey based Africatown, a self-governing group north of Mobile, Alabama, which stays lively today. The documentary also famous how Africatown is now allegedly besieged by heavy industry and pollution from factories, main to high cancer charges among residents.

I Am Not Your Negro – Amazon Prime Video

I Am Not Your Negro focuses on the unfinished e-book by James Baldwin, whose purpose was to inform the story of America through the lives and assassinations of his three close buddies and civil rights icons: Malcolm X, Martin Luther King Jr, and Medgar Evers.

The 95-minute movie is narrated by Samuel L Jackson, who reads from Baldwin’s 30-page manuscript. All of the phrases he speaks in the documentary come instantly from the creator and activist.

Directed by Raoul Peck, the documentary maker blends historic archival footage of the civil rights motion with clips from Hollywood movies to illustrate Baldwin’s critique of how Black people have been represented in widespread tradition.

Additionally, the movie, which has 99% on Rotten Tomatoes, juxtaposes the scenario of Black people in the Sixties with the current experiences of the group, including modern footage from Black Lives Matter protests and the Ferguson riots.

Becoming – Netflix

2020’s Becoming is a feature-length movie about Michelle Obama, which serves as a companion to her record-breaking memoir of the same identify.

It follows her 34-city e-book tour, and goals to seize “the power of community to bridge our divides and the spirit of connection that comes when we openly and honestly share our stories.”

Directed by Nadia Hallgren, the movie gives an intimate insight into the former First Lady’s life, and has a “rare and up-close look” at Mrs Obama’s life on the street.

There are also quite a few moments of personal reflection in the documentary, during which Mrs Obama discusses her childhood in the South Side of Chicago, her time at Princeton and Harvard, and the “heavy burden” of being the first Black household in the White House.

The Perfect Neighbor – Netflix

The only true crime offering on this checklist is The Perfect Neighbor, a 2025 documentary that shocked the nation with its heartwrenching story.

The Perfect Neighbor, which is directed by Geeta Gandbhir, focuses on the death of Ajike “AJ” Owens, a Black mom of 4, who was shot useless by her neighbor, Susan Lorincz.

Told virtually absolutely through police bodycam footage, this documentary follows the two years main up to Owens’ death, and the historical past of disputes where Lorincz repeatedly called the police on Black neighborhood youngsters for taking part in close to her home.

The movie critically examines Florida‘s “Stand Your Ground” legal guidelines, which Lorincz initially used as a protection, claiming she “feared for her life.” However, the award-winning documentary also shines a gentle on systemic racism and how racial prejudice influenced both the battle and the initial police response.