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Films like Glory and the Color Purple showed us the truth behind American History while Do the Right Thing and Moonlight showed us the long-lasting effects of the very same history. Check out our list of must-watch African American cinema here.
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Lee Daniel's drama Precious broke many glass ceilings like Geoffrey Fletcher becoming the very first African American to win an Oscar for his screenplay. The film struck a chord with so many hearts it is backed by greats Tyler Perry and Oprah Winfrey.RELATED CONTENT: Oprah Made This Special Contribution To Baby Archie's First Birthday Celebration!
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Another biographical drama Fruitvale Station depicts the time leading up to Oscar Grant's unjust murder by San Francisco Bart Police in an all-too-familiar story. The ever-talented Michael B. Jordan humanizes Oscar far more than the police department ever could.
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This biographical film based on coach Herman Boone's experience coaching a football team in a newly integrated school in Virginia. Remember the Titans did not take place that long ago but still was a wildly different time. It is a film of love and hope for what Martin Luther King Jr. and millions of others fought for. RELATED CONTENT: Denzel Washington Rescues A Homeless Man From Oncoming Traffic During Drive In L.A.
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Inspiring activist Cheryl Dunye made this great 1996 rom-com The Watermelon Woman about a young lesbian trying to tackle making a film about a famous black actress.
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The 2015 film Dope was produced by Pharell Williams and Sean "Diddy" Combs with an all-star cast of Shameik Moor, Tony Revolori, Kimberly Elise, Blake Anderson, Zoë Kravitz, and A$AP Rocky. It follows a brilliant African American student getting caught up in the world of Inglewood while trying to get into an Ivy League school.RELATED CONTENT: Lenny Kravitz Made His Daughter Zoë Cry During His Speech At Her Wedding
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Another heart-wrenching biographical film The Pursuit of Happyness follows the incredible struggle of Chris Gardner, a homeless salesman raising his son and trying to earn his way to becoming a stockbroker. The film has an even more realistic touch as Will Smith and his son Jaden Smith star together.RELATED CONTENT: Jada Pinkett Smith Reveals New Marriage Plans With Will Smith: "We're Building A Friendship"
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Glory is based on the true story of the all-African American regiment that fought in the Union Army in the American Civil War. If ever a story needed to be told, it is this one and boy was it done right.
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This 1995 thriller Dead Presidents is one that follows an all-too-true story of African Americans rejected by society after returning from fighting in the Vietnam War and being forced to turn to a world of crime.
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Moonlight won the 2016 Acadamy Award for Best Picture for good reason. It's a gorgeous coming-of-age tale about a boy struggling with identity and sexuality in a very difficult world.