Civil rights movies are those films that feature an important aspect of democratic beliefs, and despite a country's history of slavery and persistent racial disparities, people's individual rights and liberties are held sacred.
We all have this broad and important set of rights to protect us from unfair treatment in a variety of settings that are based on legally protected characteristics.
However, because of race, religion, and other characteristics, there are times when equal social opportunities aren’t guaranteed.
Watch these civil rights movies that will stimulate intense emotions and get to the roots of morality. These might change your perspectives on the world and remind you that you’re ready to take on the world.
CIVIL RIGHTS MOVIES
- Amazon Prime Video (Video on Demand)
- Gregory Peck, Mary Badham, Phillip Alford (Actors)
To Kill a Mockingbird
This is staged as a three-act play. Racism is a learned attitude or sentiment, according to the children. There's also a sweet coming-of-age story when the little kids understand that there's no Boogeyman down the street and that their father is capable of much more than they thought.
Atticus Finch is played by Gregory Peck, a pillar of nobility, social conscience, and, unusually for 1930s America, a single dad.
To Kill a Mockingbird uses the inequity of race relations in the 1930s as a metaphor for the events of the 1960s. The picture was released amid a period of turmoil, and it was also an adaptation of a literary classic.
- Amazon Prime Video (Video on Demand)
- Tom Wilkinson, Carmen Ejogo, Giovanni Ribisi (Actors)
Selma
Selma (2014) is based on the historic 1965 march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama, and tells the story of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s life and fight for equal voting rights.
Starring David Oyelow as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., it is based on the true story of the legendary activist going on a dangerous three-month campaign to obtain equal voting rights for African Americans, which culminated with President Lyndon B. Johnson signing the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
Watch this civil rights movie whenever you need a boost of motivation.
- Amazon Prime Video (Video on Demand)
- Forest Whitaker, Oprah Winfrey, Mariah Carey (Actors)
The Butler
The contrasting experiences of a White House butler who served eight presidents and his activist son vividly show the civil rights struggle.
The performances are powerful, and the era's major sociopolitical shifts are depicted in a way that is often thrilling. Oprah Winfrey, Terrence Howard, Lenny Kravitz, Robin Williams, and John Cusack are among the cast members.
- Amazon Prime Video (Video on Demand)
- Joel Edgerton, Marton Csokas, Ruth Negga (Actors)
Loving
The 2016 film is based on the real-life love story of Richard and Mildred Loving, the plaintiffs in the landmark 1967 Supreme Court case Loving v. Virginia.
The historic ruling declared state laws prohibiting interracial marriage unconstitutional under the 14th Amendment's Equal Protection and Due Process sections. Get ready to pull out your tissue for this civil rights movie.
- Amazon Prime Video (Video on Demand)
- Will Patton, Nicole Ari Parker, Denzel Washington (Actors)
Remember the Titans
Denzel Washington tackles prejudice as the school's first black football coach, as well as the difficulty of uniting the team and leading them to victory.
He assembles a squad that includes both black and white pupils who clash and resent one another on the field until they achieve mutual respect. This is one of the best sports films of all time, and it's about so much more than football.
To continue learning, check out the Remember the Titans Movie Study.
On the Basis of Sex
In this movie, a hilarious and inspiring biographical film about Ruth Bader Ginsburg's journey navigating life as a student, attorney, and mother, Felicity Jones stars as the iconic force.
The film depicts her continual battle against others who underestimate her based on her gender as she juggles a hard career and new parenthood.
Finally, it follows Ginsburg as she presents a landmark case before the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, which permanently altered the way courts consider gender discrimination.
Mississippi Burning
The real-life 1964 murders of three civil rights activists on a voter registration drive in rural Mississippi are depicted in this highly heated and complex film.
The terrible savagery of the Ku Klux Klan and the general acceptance of segregation, bigotry, and injustice for black Americans is powerfully portrayed in this sleek and well-acted civil rights movie, partially based on an FBI examination of the case.
Milk
This is yet another inspiring historical film starring Sean Penn being Harvey Milk, as the first openly homosexual man elected to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors.
Milk and his boyfriend Scott Smith move to San Francisco in quest of a life purpose and build a camera shop that becomes a focus for the city's developing LGBT population.
Follow him as he takes the plunge into the murky waters of politics, making friends and enemies along the way.
Malcolm X
This ambitious and well-crafted biopic, based on Alex Haley's 1965 book The Autobiography of Malcolm X, digs into what drove Malcolm X and dramatizes significant moments in his life such as his father's death, his incarceration, his conversion to Islam, and his fall-out with the Nation of Islam.
It inserts photos of his life with images of the 1991 police beating of Rodney King and other racial flashpoints in an intriguing way.
She’s Beautiful When She’s Angry
Mary Dore directed this award-winning documentary on the history of feminism and the development of the liberation movement in the late 1960s.
From the creation of the National Organization of Women (NOW) through the birth of a more radical liberation movement, the film takes viewers on a trip.
It also discusses the difficulties that today's feminists confront, as well as the current activists who are working relentlessly for equality.
If you enjoyed this list of movies, I have a monthly membership for parents and educators that want to teach or supplement lessons with shows and movies.
“I absolutely love sharing movies with my kids as a way to teach them valuable lessons. It's like this awesome bonding experience where we all snuggle up on the couch with some popcorn, and I get to see their little faces light up with curiosity. Whether it's a classic with timeless morals or a new animated flick with hidden gems of wisdom, it's a fantastic way to impart important life lessons in a fun and engaging way. Plus, the post-movie discussions are priceless – hearing their take on the characters and the story adds a whole new dimension to our family time.” –a Homeschooling parent
With Homeschooling with Shows and Movies membership, you will get resources every month, including:
- List of This Month’s Suggested Themes
- List of Monthly Observances
- List Of Movies for Unit Study
- Unit Study Resource
- Seasonal Activities (minimum of three)
- (BONUSES) Resources for you, the teacher
These resources are worth it if you'd like to easily incorporate shows and movies into your homeschooling.
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