This weekend, America celebrates the 250th anniversary of its independence. While many of us will gather with family around the grill and enjoy fireworks lighting up the night sky, it’s also a fitting time to celebrate the milestones we’ve achieved as a culture. One of the best ways to do that is through films that tell our stories, movies that showcase our strength, resilience, and ability to overcome adversity while leaving a lasting impact on generations to come.
INDEPENCENCE DAY
Picture this! It’s summertime 1996, and Captain Steven Hiller who is played by Will Smith is leading a group of survivors on a mission to take back their independence from an alien invasion. This was one of the biggest movie blockbusters of the 90s and one of my personal “No Brainer” movies.
GLORY
This classic is based off of a true story of the 54th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment which was the U.S. Civil War’s First All Black volunteer troop who fought off racism from their own Union Army, and Confederates. Also, movie also features Denzel Washington, Morgan Freeman, and Matthew Broderick.
HIDDEN FIGURES
This movie celebrates #BlackGirlMagic as three black women working for NASA overcoming racial barrier and gender equality. This movie was so inspiring as it gave me a reminder of just how strong Black Women are when faced with adversity. Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer, and Jonell Monae made this movie entertaining yet educational giving young ladies inspiration on positive role models to look up to.
HARRIET
Another film about the originator of #BlackGirlMagic Harriet Tubman played by Cynthia Erivo which takes us on a journey of her escape from slavery and lead missions to rescue enslaved African Americans including her family as a spy for the Union Army through the Underground Railroad.
SELMA
This movie is another “No Brainer” as this film directed by Ava DuVernay is based off of the 1965 Selma to Montgomery voting rights marches which were initiated by James Bevel and led by Martin Luther King Jr. This film means a lot more to be as I have been to Selma, Alabama for Selma 50 and crossed the Edmund Pettis Bridge with my kids.
Do you have a movie that should be on the list? Drop it in the comment section...
