Top 50 films on race relations in America

<p><strong>Introduction</strong></p>
<p>Martin Luther King Jr. Day is a time to reflect on how far we&#8217;ve come and how far we still have to go.</p>
<p>In that spirit, WTOP Film Critic Jason Fraley is ranking the best movies ever on U.S. race relations.</p>
<p>Which films moved us forward? And which movie ranks No. 1?</p>
<p>Click through the gallery to launch the countdown.</p>
"Do the Right Thing," "To Kill a Mockingbird," "Glory" and "In the Heat of the Night" famously dealt with race relations. (WTOP collage via YouTube)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VpVzHOJeisY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DUA7rr0bOcc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A2JbO9lnVLE
(1/53)
<p><strong>Introduction</strong></p>
<p>Martin Luther King Jr. Day is a time to reflect on how far we&#8217;ve come and how far we still have to go.</p>
<p>In that spirit, WTOP Film Critic Jason Fraley is ranking the best movies ever on U.S. race relations.</p>
<p>Which films moved us forward? And which movie ranks No. 1?</p>
<p>Click through the gallery to launch the countdown.</p>

Top 50 Movies on Race Relations in America

50. “The Birth of a Nation” (1915) – D.W. Griffith 

49. “BlacKkKlansman” (2018) – Spike Lee

48. “Gone with the Wind” (1939) – Victor Fleming 

47. “Django: Unchained” (2012) – Quentin Tarantino 

46. “Shaft” (1971) – Gordon Parks

45. “The Last Black Man in San Francisco” (2019) – Joe Talbot

44. “Mississippi Burning” (1988) – Alan Parker

43. “The Butler” (2013) – Lee Daniels

42. “42” (2013) – Brian Helgeland

41. “Brian’s Song” (1971) – Buzz Kulik

40. “White Men Can’t Jump” (1992) – Ron Shelton

39. “The Blind Side” (2009) – John Lee Hancock

38. “Blindspotting” (2018) – Carlos Lopez Estrada

37. “Queen & Slim” (2019) – Melina Matsoukas

36. “Straight Outta Compton” (2015) – F. Gary Gray

35. “The Defiant Ones” (1958) – Stanley Kramer

34. “A Time to Kill” (1996) – Joel Schumacher

33. “Just Mercy” (2020) – Destin Daniel Cretton

32. “The Hurricane” (1999) – Norman Jewison 

31. “Detroit” (2017) – Kathryn Bigelow

30. “Beverly Hills Cop” (1984) – Martin Brest

29. “Driving Miss Daisy” (1989) – Bruce Beresford

28. “Green Book” (2018) – Peter Farrelly 

27. “The Help” (2011) – Tate Taylor

26. “The Color Purple” (1985) – Steven Spielberg

25. “A Raisin in the Sun” (1961) – Daniel Petrie

24. “Fences” (2016) – Denzel Washington

23. “Crash” (2005) – Paul Haggis

22. “Hidden Figures” (2016) – Theodore Melfi 

21. “Imitation of Life” (1959) – Douglas Sirk 

20. “If Beale Street Could Talk” (2018) – Barry Jenkins

19. “Loving” (2016) – Joe Nichols

18. “Harriet” (2019) – Kasi Lemmons

17. “Lincoln” (2012) – Steven Spielberg

16. “Blazing Saddles” (1974) – Mel Brooks

15. “Remember the Titans” (2000) – Boaz Yakin

14. “Black Panther” (2018) – Ryan Coogler

13. “Boyz N the Hood” (1991) – John Singleton

12. “Twelve Years a Slave” (2013) – Steve McQueen

11. “Mudbound” (2017) – Dee Rees

10. “Glory” (1989) – Edward Zwick  

9. “Fruitvale Station” (2013) – Ryan Coogler

8. “Malcolm X” (1992) – Spike Lee

7. “Selma” (2014) – Ava DuVernay 

6. “In the Heat of the Night” (1967) – Norman Jewison

5. “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner?” (1967) – Stanley Kramer

4. “Get Out” (2017) – Jordan Peele

3. “Moonlight” (2016) – Barry Jenkins

2. “To Kill a Mockingbird” (1962) – Robert Mulligan

1. “Do the Right Thing” (1989) – Spike Lee

 

WTOP's Jason Fraley salutes movies on race (Jason Fraley)
WTOP's Jason Fraley cuts a race movie mashup (2015) (Jason Fraley)
Jason Fraley

Hailed by The Washington Post for “his savantlike ability to name every Best Picture winner in history," Jason Fraley began at WTOP as Morning Drive Writer in 2008, film critic in 2011 and Entertainment Editor in 2014, providing daily arts coverage on-air and online.

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