Streaming Video

Films on Demand is a streaming video
database of thousands Black History Month Film Festival of educational films, documentaries, and news programs.

Films on Demand is available for on-campus and remote use by current UA students, faculty, staff and emeritus.

Below are links to select films available about or celebrating Black History. You'll need to login with your UAnet ID and password to view these films.

*Image from University of Portsmouth

American Reckoning An unsolved 1960s murder reveals an untold story of the civil rights movement and Black resistance. With Retro Report, the film draws on rarely seen footage filmed more than 50 years ago in Natchez, MS, and follows one family's search for justice. Distributed by PBS Distribution.
The Apollo The Apollo, directed by Oscar and Emmy winner Roger Ross Williams, chronicles the legacy of New York City’s landmark Apollo Theater, covering the rich history of the storied performance space over its 85 years. What began as a refuge for marginalized artists emerged as a hallowed hall of black excellence and empowerment. In the film, Williams reflects on the struggle of black lives in America, the role that art plays in that struggle, and the part the Apollo Theater continues to play in the cultural conversation.
Becoming Frederick Douglass DESCRIPTION Discover how a man born into slavery became one of the most influential voices for democracy U.S. history. A gifted writer and charismatic orator, it is estimated that more Americans heard Douglass speak than any other 19th-century figure — Black or white. Directed by Oscar-nominated filmmaker Stanley Nelson and Nicole London, the film features the voice of actor Wendell Pierce as Douglass. Distributed by PBS Distribution
Black Art: In The Absence Of Light At the heart of this feature documentary is the groundbreaking Two Centuries of Black American Art exhibition curated by the late African American artist and scholar David Driskell in 1976. Held at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, this pioneering exhibit featured more than 200 works of art by 63 artists and cemented the essential contributions of Black artists in America in the 19th and 20th centuries. The exhibit would eventually travel to the Dallas Museum of Fine Arts, the High Museum of Art in Atlanta, and the Brooklyn Museum. The film shines a light on the exhibition’s extraordinary impact on generations of African American artists who have staked a claim on their rightful place within the 21st-century art world. An HBO Production.
Charley Pride: I’m Just Me This program explores the complicated history of the American South and its music through the life of country star Charley Pride. Raised in the brutally segregated Mississippi Delta, Pride's buttery voice, talent, and steely resolve led him to the Country Music Hall of Fame. A Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award winner, his journey shows the ways that artistic expression can triumph over prejudice and injustice. Distributed by PBS Distribution.
A Choice of Weapons: Inspired by Gordon Parks For decades, trailblazing photographer Gordon Parks brought the human struggle of the Black community out of the shadows and onto the pages of LIFE magazine. This documentary explores Parks' enduring legacy through the lens of three contemporary photographers, and spotlights his visionary work and its impact on the next generation of artists. An HBO Production.
Driving While Black: Race, Space and Mobility in America Chronicling the history and personal experiences of African Americans on the road from the advent of the automobile through the seismic changes of the 1960s and beyond – Driving While Black explores the background of a phrase rooted in realities that have been a part of the African American experience for hundreds of years – told in part through the stories of the people who lived through it. Distributed by PBS Distribution.
Harriet Tubman: Visions of Freedom Go beyond the legend and meet the woman who repeatedly risked her life and freedom to liberate others from slavery. One of the greatest freedom fighters in U.S. history, Tubman was an Underground Railroad conductor, a Civil War scout, nurse and spy. Directed by Oscar®-nominated filmmaker Stanley Nelson and Nicole London, the film is narrated by Emmy® Award-winner Alfre Woodard. Distributed by PBS Distribution.
I am not your Negro An Oscar-nominated documentary narrated by Samuel L. Jackson, I am not your Negro explores the continued peril America faces from institutionalized racism.
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Also available on DVD
Making Black America This four-hour series, hosted by Henry Louis Gates, Jr., chronicles the vast social networks and organizations created by and for Black people-beyond the reach of the “White gaze.” Gates takes viewers into an extraordinary world that showcases Black people’s ability to collectively prosper, defy white supremacy and define Blackness in ways that transformed America itself.
TEDTalks: David Ikard—The Real Story of Rosa Parks -- And Why We Need to Confront Myths about Black History Black history taught in US schools is often watered-down, riddled with inaccuracies and stripped of its context and rich, full-bodied historical figures. Equipped with the real story of Rosa Parks, professor David Ikard highlights how making the realities of race more benign and digestible harms us all -- and emphasizes the power and importance of historical accuracy.