This Black History Month and beyond, it’s important to spotlight the work of Black female directors, a historically underrepresented group in Hollywood — only 5.3% of directors in 2024 were women of color. As President Donald Trump’s administration rolls back diversity, equity and inclusion and cultural advisory programs, it’s more crucial now than ever to acknowledge the impact that identity-based storytelling and cultural perspectives have on our art. Here are eight films we think you should check out.

“Eyes on the Prize: Hallowed Ground” directed by Sophia Nahli Allison

If you grew up in the American public school system, you may be familiar with Henry Hampton’s landmark “Eyes on the Prize” documentary series, which covers the American civil rights movement from 1954 to mid-’80s. Sophia Nahli Allison’s “Eyes on the Prize: Hallowed Ground” on Max addresses the four-decade gap between Hampton’s series and today’s Black activist movements by examining sacred spaces for the Black community and the corresponding tragedies. While the film largely contains archival footage and interviews with contemporary Black activists — most of whom are female-identifying or LGBTQ+, addressing Hampton’s limited acknowledgement of these groups — Allison also interweaves poetry and performance art to emphasize the work still demanded of us in our country’s ongoing civil rights struggle. 

— Dani Biondi, Film & TV Editor

“One Night in Miami…” directed by Regina King

“One Night In Miami…” is about a single, fictionalized conversation on Feb. 25, 1964 between four very real people: Malcom X (Kingsley Ben-Adir), Cassius Clay (Eli Goree), more widely known as Muhammad Ali, Jim Brown (Aldis Hodge) and Sam Cooke (Leslie Odom Jr.). Taking place only a few months after the tumultuous summer of 1963, the movie depicts the debate between Black leaders and activists on how to effectively protest. Regina King brilliantly captures the tension in disagreement, giving insight into the deep, philosophical disagreements between some of the most influential Black leaders of all time. 

— Annie Emans, Staff Writer

“Love & Basketball” directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood

In “Love & Basketball,” directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood, protagonists Monica (Sanaa Lathan) and Quincy (Omar Epps) are childhood best friends who want to become professional basketball players. Over the course of multiple years, Monica and Quincy weave in and out of each other’s stories, always ending up back on the basketball court. Outside influences, such as Quincy’s talented father who plays for the Los Angeles Clippers, the lack of representation in women’s basketball and one-on-ones on the basketball court all lead back to the two words to describe this film: love and basketball. If this movie taught me one thing, it’s that the right love will find you when it’s time.  

— Pritheva Zakaria, Contributing Writer 

“Dahomey” directed by Mati Diop

In “Dahomey,” French Senegalese director Mati Diop explores the long-lasting legacy of colonialism in Africa. The film follows the repatriation of 26 artifacts taken from the Kingdom of Dahomey during colonial conquest, a West African kingdom that flourished between the 17th and 19th centuries in what is now modern-day Benin. While it is a documentary, Diop interweaves the film with fiction through a voice-over embodying one of the artifacts: a statue of King Ghézo. “Dahomey” literally and figuratively gives a voice to these important cultural objects that were locked away for over a century, taking a contemplative look at what it means for a nation when its material culture is stolen.

— Ella Sabrina Malabanan, Deputy Copy Chief

“Pariah” directed by Dee Rees

Utterly evocative and thoughtfully crafted, NYU alum Dee Rees’ 2011 indie drama “Pariah” follows Brooklyn teen Alike (Adepero Oduye) as she navigates her sexuality in a tense household environment. Her struggle is emphasized with the words of intellectual giant Audre Lorde, which feature as an epigraph, with Rees’ film ultimately addressing family dynamics, gender expression, heteronormativity, belonging and change. A 2011 Sundance Film Festival selection, “Pariah” was earlier developed by Rees while attending NYU’s graduate film program. A decade after the film’s release, Rees’ “Pariah” entered the Criterion Collection, the first film by a Black American woman to do so.

— Luke Vrba, Contributing Writer

“Selma” directed by Ava DuVernay

I first watched “Selma” in my eighth grade English class, and I’m so glad I did. This film recounts the true story of the 1965 march for voting rights from Selma, Alabama to Montgomery, centering around Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (David Oyelowo). From the sanctity of the Oval Office to the brutality of the Edmund Pettus Bridge, director Ava DuVernay masterfully blends major historical moments with insights into King’s personal life. 

— Leo Field, Staff Writer

“Daughters of the Dust” directed by Julie Dash

Julie Dash’s “Daughters of the Dust” was the first feature film directed by a Black woman to be theatrically released in the United States. Celebrating three generations of Gullah women in South Carolina amid the Great Migration, the filmmakers committed to authenticity by shooting on location at St. Helena Island and writing the dialogue in Gullah-English, a creole dialect. This drive for honoring the spirit of the Gullah goes beyond historical accuracy and is woven into the fabric of the film itself. Through lush, mesmerizing visuals and a leisurely meandering narrative that takes cues from African storytelling traditions, “Daughters of the Dust” lingers in viewers’ minds, serving as a glimpse into an underexplored dimension of Black history.

— Tony Yang, Contributing Writer

“A Thousand and One” directed by A.V. Rockwell

Art and its connection to social and political commentary beautifully converge in A.V. Rockwell’s feature directorial debut, “A Thousand and One.” The 2023 film chronicles the lives of free-spirited Inez (Teyana Taylor) and her soft-spoken son, Terry (Josiah Cross) as they navigate poverty and family conflict in Harlem during the 1990s and early 2000s. After removing 6-year-old Terry from the foster care system, Inez faces immense struggles to provide for her son, battling systemic challenges like gentrification that disproportionately affect minority communities. Inez’s unconditional love for her son and resilience pushes her to give Terry opportunities she never had. Rockwell urges the viewer to consider their own impact on gentrification and how media can serve as a powerful tool for resistance. Full of heart-wrenching plot twists, “A Thousand and One” is a must-watch.

— Maya Santiago, Staff Writer

Contact the Arts desk at [email protected].