5 unforgettable films to learn more about racism

To Kill a Mockingbird is considered a classic (both the novel and the film) and as such is the first point of contact with the subject for many people. Gregory Peck stars in this film based on the novel by Pulitzer Prize winner Harper Lee. The film follows the story of a lawyer (Peck) who takes on a case of Tom Robinson, a black man accused of raping  a white woman. As the case progresses, the tension begins to grom in the community and within Atticus' family. The film is set in an imaginary town in Alabama in the context of the racial segregation of the 1950s.

Made over 30 years ago, the film remains as current as ever, tragically so. Set in Brooklyn, the film shows how a conflict escalates from a small argument over a wall of fame at an Italian restaurant to a violent outburst. It is often listed as one of the most influential films of all time. 

The Hate U Give is based on Angie Thomas’ 2017 novel and takes on topics of Black Lives Matter and police brutality. Amandla Stenberg leads an outstanding cast by playing Starr, one of the few black students in her private school, who witnesses the police shoot her friend. The film finds a great balance beyween being a coming-of-age story and social drama.

This Academy Award nominee tells the story of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s, (played by an outstanding  David Oyelowo) campaign for equal voting rights by marching from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama in 1965.

This is a film based on the true story Oscar Grant was shot by a police officer when he was 22.  It's not an easy watch but a necessary one. Ryan Coogler went on to direct Marvel's box-office-smash "Black Panther" in 2018.