25 films to understand race relations in America
Dishonorable Mention: “The Birth of a Nation” (1915)
Director: D.W. Griffith
25. “The Learning Tree” (1969)
Director: Gordon Parks
24. “Get Out” (2017)
Director: Jordan Peele
23. “American History X” (1998)
Director: Tony Kaye
22. “If Beale Street Could Talk” (2018)
Director: Barry Jenkins
21. “Hollywood Shuffle” (1987)
Director: Robert Townsend
20. “Detroit” (2017)
Director: Kathryn Bigelow
19. “Sorry to Bother You” (2018)
Director: Boots Riley
18. “Dear White People” (2014)
Director: Justin Simien
17. “Queen & Slim” (2019)
Director: Melina Matsoukas
16. “Twelve Years a Slave” (2013)
Director: Steve McQueen
15. “Let It Fall: Los Angeles 1982-1992” (2017)
Director: John Ridley
14. “Mudbound” (2017)
Director: Dee Rees
13. “Higher Learning” (1995)
Director: John Singleton
12. “Luce” (2019)
Director: Julius Onah
11. “A Time to Kill” (1996)
Director: Joel Schumacher
10. “I Am Not Your Negro” (2016)
Director: Raoul Peck
9. “Rosewood” (1997)
Director: John Singleton
8. “Fruitvale Station” (2013)
Director: Ryan Coogler
7. “Selma” (2014)
Director: Ava DuVernay
6. “Malcolm X” (1992)
Director: Spike Lee
5. “Roots” (1977)
Directors: Marvin J. Chomsky, John Erman, David Greene, Gilbert Moses
4. “Eyes On The Prize” (1987-1990)
Directors: James A. DeVinney, Orlando Bagwell, Callie Crossley, Judith Vecchione, Sheila Curran Bernard, Madison D. Lacy, Louis J. Massiah, Sam Pollard, Terry Kay Rockefeller, Jacqueline Shearer, Paul Stekler, Thomas Ott, Henry Hampton
3. “When They See Us” (2019)
Director: Ava DuVernay
2. “13th” (2016)
Director: Ava DuVernay
1. “Do the Right Thing” (1989)
Director: Spike Lee
Join us for a special live watch-along on Tuesday starting at 8 p.m. on Twitter presented by @WTOP and @dcblackfilmfest. Follow along with co-hosts @kevinsampson and @JFrayWTOP.
“Do the Right Thing” is free on the Peacock app if you simply speak the title into your Xfinity voice remote. You can also rent it for $3.99 on Amazon, Vudu, YouTube, iTunes and Google Play.
This is a social media event meant to heal, learn and understand, so please consider this a safe space for questions, dialogue and constructive conversation.
Until then, check out our full 90-minute conversation below:
WTOP's Jason Fraley chats with Kevin Sampson (Full Interview)
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.
