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When I saw the promos for the A&E’s reboot of the Roots mini-series, I immediately thought, “Why not run this for Black History Month.” Further perplexing, the miniseries debuted over Memorial Day week at that. I mean there are cookouts, the NBA playoffs and the kickoff to the usual summer shenanigans; surely people would rather flock to more fun-filled, far less depressing entertainment than the updated adaptation of Alex Haley’s infamously uber-heavy Roots. No?
Well, I was wrong. Despite Snoop’s urge to boycott, the first episode of the four-day series became the most-watched cable mini-series premiere in three years. And I’m quite sure the impressive cast of actors, such as Forest Whitaker, Laurence Fishburne, Anika Noni Rose, Tip “T.I.” Harris, Derek Luke and Mekhi Phifer, contributed to the overwhelming appeal of the Roots remake.
So I guess this makes 2016 the unofficial Black History Year. And I believe this means we are no longer delegating celebrations of our blackness and/or looks into our history to just the month of February (as evidence by the popularity of WGN’s Underground, Beyonce’s “Formation,” this year’s diversity on Broadway, etc.).
So if you were one of the 5.3 million Monday night Roots viewers, kudos to you. If not, go online to History channel to catch up and then tune into the final installment, airing tonight. And while you’re at it mark your calendars or hit your computers for these other black history films, documentaries and shows to watch.
6 Black Films and Documentaries to Watch
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In case you missed it, BET recently aired the documentary Stay Woke: The Black Lives Matter Movement, which is executive produced by Grey’s Anatomy actor Jesse Williams. You can watch it online at BET.com by signing in with your service provider.
You might already have this on your radar, but here’s your reminder. The John Legend-produced Southside with You movie is expected to debut this August 2016. And it looks kind of cute. The film depicts a young, pre-presidential version of POTUS Barack Obama on his first date with FLOTUS Michelle Obama, who is played by Tika Sumpter.
Disney brings us a tear jerker with Queen of Katwe, which stars David Oyelowo and Oscar winner Lupita Nyong’o. The story is about a young Ugandan girl who becomes an international chess champion. It hits theaters this September 2016.
This film has been buzzing since its well-received showing at this year’s Sundance Festival. The biopic from writer/producer/actor Nate Parker follows the story of the Nat Turner slave rebellion. The Birth of a Nation, which stars Parker, Aunjanue Ellis and Gabrielle Union will hit theaters in October 2016 and is expected to be on the award season radar for best picture.
Directed by famed music video director Benny Boom, All Eyez on Me is sure to hit the Twitterverse upon its release in November 2016. Of course, the story chronicles the life of rapper Tupac Shakur and shines at light on the well-known highlights and low notes of his life.
Did you guys know this? Several African American women mathematicians played pivotal roles in the NASA space race of the 1950s-60s. Well, this story will be detailed in the new movie Hidden Figures, which follows the tale of Katherine Johnson, an African American physicist, space scientist, and mathematician. Executive produced by Pharrell Williams, the film stars Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer and Janelle Monáe. Though it’s actually scheduled for release in early 2017, the book, Hidden Figures: The American Dream and the Untold Story of the Black Women Mathematicians Who Helped Win the Space Race by author Margot Lee Shetterly will be released September 2016.
[tps_footer]BMWK, what did you think of the Roots remake? Do you think black history has gotten more attention this year than normal?[/tps_footer]