17 Netflix Shows and Movies That Address Race and Racism

Ava DuVernay's 13th explores mass incarceration in America, focusing on the fact that the prison system is disproportional made up of Black inmates.

Marsha P. Johnson was one of the icons of the gay rights movement, but when her body was found in the Hudson River, the police called it a suicide. This documentary looks into Marsha's mysterious death while also celebrating everything she accomplished in her life.

Also made by Ava DuVernay, When They See Us is a fictionalized telling of the Central Park Five, five Black teenagers who were convicted for a brutal rape they did not commit.

First Lady Michelle Obama tells her inspiring life story while exploring her hopes and connections with others.

Seventy years after the Brown v. Board of Education Supreme Court decision, Teach Us All examines segregation in American public schools, asking the question, "how far have we really come and where do we go from here?"

Kalief Browder spent three years in prison (and two of those years in solitary confinement) for allegedly stealing a backpack, though he was never convicted of the crime. Just two years after his release, Kalief committed suicide in his mother's home. This six-part series tells the story of Kalief and the injustice that lead to his death.

The 2016 Best Picture winner is a coming-of-age story about Chiron, a gay Black man growing up in Miami.

An intimate look at the creation of Beyoncé's 2018 Coachella performance, which has since become an important moment in cultural history.

Clarence Avant was a music executive who worked with and influenced everyone from Snoop Dogg to Barack Obama. This documentary explores his life and legacy.

In 1992, four police officers were acquitted after violently beating Black construction worker Rodney King. LA 92 tells the story of the riots that broke out in LA following the notorious trial.

This 16-minute explainer dives into how slavery, housing discrimination, and inequality have come together to create the racial wealth gap.

Self Made tells the story of the first female self-made millionaire, Madam C.J. Walker who revolutionized black haircare and brought about social change.

Based on the 2008 novel of the same name, Mudbound tells the story of two Mississippi families—one black and one white—and the different lives they lead in the Jim Crow South.

Let It Fall explores the decade leading up to the 1992 LA riots the broke out following the Rodney King verdict.

The satirical series follows a group of Black students making their way through a mostly white Ivy-League school.

This documentary tells the story of the life of Civil Rights activist and singer, Nina Simone.

Filmaker Yance Ford investigates the 1992 murder of a 24-year-old Black man, who just so happens to be his brother.