19 series, docs, and specials to honor Black History Month

This Black History Month, there’s a host of series, documentaries, and films programmed to celebrate the rich history and lives of Black Americans. From Oscar shortlisted documentaries to celebratory concerts, intense explorations to joyful film collections, viewers have their plates full with interesting selections. PBS makes a typically strong showing, but you’ll also find compelling offerings across streamers as well as cable and broadcast networks.

Host returns for a third season of this Hulu series on February 1. spotlights Black innovators and creators who are changing their corners of the world. The four-episode new season is focused solely on Black women. Viewers will learn about celebrity dog groomer Ashley Ann, ice cream scientist Dr. Maya Warren, and NASCAR pit crew member Brehanna Daniels. Other featured women include professional bull rider Ezekiel Mitchell, Samantha Josaphat, the 397th Black woman to become a licensed architect, and adventure athlete Danielle Williams.

This four-part docuseries, executive-produced by Angela Bassett and Courtney B. Vance’s Bassett Vance Productions, is narrated by Vance and covers the history of slavery around the world. It’ll feature celebrities including Debbie Allen, Valerie Jarrett, , Soledad O’Brien, CCH Pounder, Senator Cory Booker, Marc Morial, and Dulé Hill as they confront their own personal connections to slavery and its global legacy. A new episode will debut every Monday this month, starting February 7. The series will also stream on Paramount+.

From Emmy winner Stanley Nelson, the documentary recounts the five-day 1971 prison rebellion at the Attica Correctional Facility, which resulted in the deaths of 29 inmates and 10 hostages. It features original interviews with former inmates, family members of hostages, and witnesses, and uses hundreds of hours of footage and never-before-seen archival tape from inside the prison itself. Showtime has made the film, currently on the Oscars documentary shortlist, available for free across all its on-demand platforms and on until the end of Black History Month.

This three-part docuseries tells the story of how Guy Torry launched at The Comedy Store in 1990s Los Angeles, giving Black stand-up comedians a place to come together and find their voices while also launching a movement. The series features Black performers like Anthony Anderson, Tichina Arnold, Nick Cannon, Dave Chappelle, Snoop Dogg, Cedric the Entertainer, Tiffany Haddish, Steve Harvey, Lil Rel Howery, Regina King, Jo Koy, Luenell, Flame Monroe, Jay Pharoah, Craig Robinson, J.B. Smoove, Chris Tucker, Kym Whitley, and more. Phat Tuesdays premieres February 4 on Prime Video.

This documentary, directed by Giorgio Angelini and part of PBS’ Independent Lens series, looks at the housing crisis, and how the “American Dream” of home ownership hasn’t been equally available for every American. The documentary airs February 7, and will be available for streaming in the PBS video app.

This new documentary in PBS’ American Masters series explores the life, career, art, and legacy of , a legendary Black contralto and civil rights pioneer. Directed by Emmy- and Peabody Award-winner Rita Coburn, the film uses archival interview recordings from the 1950s and recordings of Anderson’s performances to dive into the woman behind the music. It airs February 8 on PBS and on the PBS app.

The American Diplomat, a new documentary in PBS’ American Experience series, tell the story of three black ambassadors—Edward R. Dudley, Terence Todman, and Carl Rowan—who received high-ranking appointments in the Truman, Eisenhower, and Kennedy administrations. While they faced discrimination at home, they had to represent “American ideals” abroad, even while serving in a racist culture at the U.S. State Department. The film airs February 15.

American Reckoning looks into the mystery of Wharlest Jackson’s murder, an unsolved crime from the 1960s. The film, part of PBS’ Frontline, is a feature-length documentary that uses rarely seen footage filmed more than 50 years ago in Natchez, Mississippi, and follows the Jackson family’s search for justice. The documentary, which is produced, written, and directed by Brad Lichtenstein and Yoruba Richen, airs February 15.

Produced in part by Fannie Lou Hamer’s great-niece, Monica Land, this documentary dives into the story of the civil rights pioneer, who was born a Mississippi sharecropper and became a key figure in the voting rights movement. The film utilizes footage of Hamer’s speeches and interviews, plus never-before-seen family photos and archival footage. It airs February 22 on PBS and February 24 on the WORLD Channel.

premiered in January and is available to stream now on ABC.com. This historical limited series tells the story of Emmett Till’s murder and how it propelled the civil rights movement, thanks to the work of his mother, Mamie Till-Mobley. Adrienne Warren stars as Mamie, and the series was created and written by Marissa Jo Cerar and directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood.

The Criterion Channel has curated multiple collections to honor Black visionaries in film. “The Roots & Revolution: Reggae On Film Collection” comprises a mix of 11 fiction and nonfiction filmmaking, all revolving around the worldwide explosion of reggae music. Then there’s “7 Films Starring ,” spotlighting the revolutionary singer-turned-actor. The collection includes the hip-hop drama Beat Street, which he produced and composed the music for. Criterion’s “Melvin Van Peebles: Essential Films” features seven of movies, including and . And “Black History Rising: Documentaries” by Stanley Nelson, collects five of his films: The Black Press: Soldiers Without Swords, A Place of Our Own, Freedom Summer, The Black Panthers: Vanguard of the Revolution, and Tell Them We Are Rising.

This new documentary chronicles the journey of Representative Barbara Lee, who started her political journey as a member of the Black Panther Party, and joined the House in 1998. Lee famously was the only vote against military authorization in the wake of September 11th. This film, directed by Abby Ginzberg, also features interviews with Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Cory Booker, Alice Walker, John Lewis, and Van Jones. It has been nominated for a NAACP Image Award Nomination for standing documentary film and airs February 1.

Premiering February 12 on Discovery+, Profiled: The Black Man uses historical footage, real-life testimony, and commentary from thought leaders to present a portrait of life for Black men in America. Each episode will feature commentary from people including Tina Knowles-Lawson, civil rights activist DeRay Mckesson, activist Tamika Mallory, hip-hop culture icon Sway Calloway, actor Billy Porter, and more.

This new original film, based on the 2020 limited series of the same name, follows a high school musical group whose arts budget is about to be cut. To save it, they enter a contest to win the money they need. Howard High, directed by Christopher B. Stokes, premieres February 4 on Tubi.

The iHeartRadio Living Black! concert returns for a second year. The event is headlined by , who’ll perform at the iHeartRadio Theater in Los Angeles. The concert will also feature performances by Big Sean, H.E.R., Moneybagg Yo, and Ari Lennox. J. Cole, Alicia Keys, John Legend, and Saweetie are all scheduled to make appearances. The concert will stream live on TikTok on February 23.

Inspired by David Blight’s Pulitzer Prize-winning biography of the same name, the Frederick Douglass: Prophet Of Freedom documentary brings to life some of Douglass’ legendary speeches. Actors Nicole Beharie, Colman Domingo, Jonathan Majors, Denzel Whitaker, and Jeffrey Wright perform excerpts from five of the abolitionist’s speeches, each one chosen because it connects to a different stage of . The doc, which premieres February 23, also features André Holland reading from Douglass’ autobiographies, and historical context from scholars David Blight and Henry Louis Gates Jr. Prophet Of Freedom is part of HBO’s More Than A Month campaign within the .

ABC News’ Soul Of A Nation presents this special on Muhammad Abdul Aziz, who was wrongfully convicted of . The February 3 special will mark his first TV interview since Aziz was exonerated in November 2021. Nightline co-anchor Byron Pitts explores the 1965 assassination, Aziz’s decades in prison and on parole, and how the miscarriage of justice affected his family. The special features interviews not only with Aziz and his family, but also with the team that re-investigated the murder, the family of the late Khalil Islam (who was posthumously exonerated of the murder), and Malcolm X’s daughter Ilyasah Shabazz.

Soul Of A Nation is also airing Screen Queens Rising, a special that centers on how hard Black actresses have worked to ascend to the top of the entertainment industry. It features interviews with actresses including , Debbie Allen, Jackée Harry, Marla Gibbs, Regina Hall, and Tessa Thompson as they discuss the long road to success for Black actresses in Hollywood. It also airs February 3.

This new documentary, executive-produced and narrated by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, explores the Civil War by focusing on the Black people who turned the tide of the fight. That includes lesser-known contributors like war hero Robert Smalls and Union spy Mary Richards, but also famous names such as Frederick Douglass and Harriet Tubman. The film airs on The History Channel on February 21.