What To Watch: Black History Month Specials, Movies And Documentaries

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TVLine is once again celebrating Black History Month by highlighting special programming that will be airing and streaming throughout the month of February.

The list below features documentaries and docuseries chronicling Black history both in America and popular culture. Learn all about a very special voting rights activist in PBS' Fannie Lou Hamer's America: An America ReFramed Special, celebrate Black stand-up comedy in Prime Video's Phat Tuesdays: The Era of Hip Hop Comedy, and deep-dive into the history of slavery with Smithsonian Channel's One Thousand Years of Slavery: The Untold Story.

Fans of the arts also have plenty to take in, including Pass the Mic (which spotlights the rising careers of Lil Nas X, Lizzo and Kendrick Lamar) and TCM's Sidney Poitier movie marathon.

In addition, watch new interviews with Tessa Thompson, Halle Berry and Regina Hall on ABC's Soul of a Nation Presents: Screen Queens Rising, and find out where you can watch critically acclaimed films like Dreamgirls, Get Out, Creed, In the Heat of the Night and more. And don't forget about Peacock's Fresh Prince of Bel-Air reboot, which kicks off on Super Bowl Sunday, Feb. 13.

Below is our curated list of selections from Showtime, Smithsonian Channel, PBS, Discovery+, Peacock, Apple TV+ and other outlets.

TUESDAY, FEB. 1

Africa's Great Civilizations (PBS Documentaries' Prime Video channel) | Across three episodes, historian Henry Louis Gates, Jr. travels the length and breadth of Africa to chronicle the continent's history — from the origins of art, writing and civilization itself, through the millennia in which Africa and Africans shaped not only their own rich civilizations, but also the wider world.

Barbara Lee: Speaking Truth To Power (Starz) | This 83-minute doc tells the story of Representative Barbara Lee, a voice for human rights, peace, and economic and racial justice in the U.S. Congress, who cut her teeth as a volunteer for the Black Panther Party; politicians Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Cory Booker, novelist/social activist Alice Walker, CNN's Van Jones and the late John Lewis appear.

The Black Church: This Is Our Story, This Is Our Song (PBS Documentaries' Prime Video channel) | Explore the 400-year history of the Black church in America, as historian Henry Louis Gates, Jr. retraces its resilience, autonomy and freedom.

The Black Panthers: Vanguard of the Revolution (PBS Documentaries' Prime Video channel) | This film, from documentarian Stanley Nelson, explores the Black Panther Party, its significance to the broader American culture, its cultural and political awakening for Black people, and the painful lessons wrought when a movement derails.

Black Voices Collection (Paramount+) | The streamer celebrates Black voices all month long with a special selection of movies (Tyler Perry's Nobody's Fool, Flight), TV series (Key & Peele, The Game), family programming (Sister Sister, Everybody Hates Chris) and comedy specials from Hannibal Buress, Ron Funches, Wanda Sykes and more.

Maurice Hines: Bring Them Back (Starz app) | Hines and friends — including Chita Rivera (West Side Story), director/producer Mercedes Ellington and Debbie Allen (Fame) — tell tales from his lengthy career, including his Broadway shows, a co-starring role in Francis Ford Coppola's The Cotton Club and his complex relationship with his superstar brother Gregory. (Also airs on the Starz channel Tuesday, Feb. 8 at 8 pm.)

'More Than a Month' programming event (HBO Max) | All month long, viewers can take in a free sampling of the HBO Original documentary film A Choice of Weapons: Gordon Parks; Episode 1 of the documentary series Being Serena; and the documentary film King in the Wilderness.

Muhammad Ali (PBS Documentaries' Prime Video channel) | In four parts, filmmaker Ken Burns brings to life one of the best-known and most indelible figures of the 20th century – Muhammad Ali, the boxing champion who wrote his own rules in the ring and in his life, infuriating his critics, baffling opponents and riveting fans.

Ovation TV's Black History Month Celebration (Ovation NOW) | The network highlights Black artists who've made a significant impact on the world with series and films celebrating comedy greats, legends, trailblazers, music Icons and more. The collection includes Richard Pryor and Eddie Murphy specials; Inside the Actors Studio episodes with Halle Berry, David Oyelowo, Lupita Nyong'o and Alfre Woodard; Whitney Houston: We Will Always Love You; and Livin' for Love: The Natalie Cole Story. 

A Reckoning in Boston (PBS app) | From award-winning director James Rutenbeck comes this documentary about Kafi Dixon, a 44-year-old women who dreams of starting a land cooperative for women of color who have experienced trauma and disenfranchisement in the city of Boston, and her classmate Carl Chandler, a community elder.

Spectrum On Demand Highlights Black History Month | The cable company celebrates Black History Month with an On Demand collection of films and memorable performances, including Jennifer Hudson and Beyoncé in Dreamgirls, Daniel Kaluuya in Get Out, Michael B. Jordan and Tessa Thompson in Creed, and the late Sidney Poitier in In The Heat of the Night. (Available through Feb. 14.)

Tell Them We Are Rising: The Story of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (PBS Documentaries' Prime Video channel)| Filmmakers Stanley Nelson and Marco Williams chronicle the rise, influence and evolution of HBCUs – long a haven for Black intellectuals, artists and revolutionaries, and a path toward the American dream, and whose graduates span Booker T. Washington to Martin Luther King, Jr., Toni Morrison to Oprah Winfrey, and Alice Walker to Common.

3 am Your Attention Please Season 3 (Hulu) | Host Craig Robinson (The Office) takes viewers on a journey into the lives, ideas, and dreams of a diverse group of Black innovators and creators who are leaving their mark on the world.

THURSDAY, FEB. 3

8 pm Soul of a Nation Presents: Screen Queens Rising (ABC) | Tessa Thompson, Halle Berry, Regina Hall and more discuss how Black actresses of Hollywood, a historically overlooked group, have begun to ascend in entertainment and culture; ABC News' Linsey Davis and Deborah Roberts host.

9 pm Soul of a Nation Presents: X / o n e r a t e d – The Murder of Malcolm X and 55 Years to Justice (ABC) | Muhammad Abdul Aziz, the man who was wrongfully convicted of Malcolm X's assassination, is profiled in his first TV interview since his exoneration; Nightline co-anchor Byron Pitts retraces Aziz's decades behind bars, interviewing Aziz's family and advocates, raising questions about why and how the assassination and the wrongful conviction happened, and why they took so long to resolve.

FRIDAY, FEB. 4

Howard High (Tubi) | Based on the 2020 miniseries of the same name (which is also available on Tubi throughout the month), this teen musical follows a high school performance group who must compete against a rival school in order to save their arts program; Chrissy Stokes (Southland), Anthony Lewis (Madea's Farewell Play) and R&B singer-songwriter Keith Sweat star.

Phat Tuesdays: The Era of Hip Hop Comedy (Prime Video, three episodes) | This new docuseries celebrates celebrates Phat Tuesdays at The Comedy Store, the storied venue that helped launch the careers of some of the most famous Black comedians in the industry today. Anthony Anderson (black-ish), Tichina Arnold (Martin), Dave Chappelle (Half Baked), Snoop Dogg, Cedric the Entertainer (The Neighborhood), Tiffany Haddish (The Afterparty), Regina King, Craig Robinson (The Office), JB Smoove (Curb Your Enthusiasm), Chris Tucker (Rush Hour) and more share their memories and tributes to the legacy of Phat Tuesdays.

MONDAY, FEB. 7

8 pm One Thousand Years of Slavery — The Untold Story (Smithsonian Channel) | Courtney B. Vance (The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story) narrates this four-part docuseries that explores the legacy of slavery and how our shared history can create a better future; Debbie Allen (Fame), former government official Valerie Jarrett, Lorraine Toussaint (The Equalizer), broadcast journalist Soledad O'Brien, CCH Pounder (NCIS: New Orleans), Senator Cory Booker and Dulé Hill (The Wonder Years) appear.

10 pm Owned: A Tale of Two Americas (PBS) | Explore the history of racist housing policies in post-WWII America and how they set the country on two divergent paths — one of perceived wealth and one of systematically defunded, segregated communities.

TUESDAY, FEB. 8

9 pm Marian Anderson: The Whole World in Her Hands (PBS) | Take an intimate look into the life, career and legacy of the African-American singer and civil rights pioneer via rare archival interview recordings.

Ms. Pat: Y'all Wanna Hear Something Crazy? (Netflix) | In her first hour-long Netflix special, Pat recalls growing up poor in Atlanta during the Reagan era, what she learned in juvenile detention, and how her mom made her get baptized at local churches to get money.

THURSDAY, FEB. 10

Just a Mortal Man – The Jerry Lawson Story (PBS Plus WORLD Channel) | This new documentary explores the career of Jerry Lawson, who founded and fronted the a cappella group The Persuasions, and who paved the way for groups such as Boyz II Men, Pentatonix and Take 6.

Real Husbands of Hollywood: More Kevin, More Problems (BET+) | The six-part revival series picks up years later as Kevin Hart, Boris Kodjoe, Duane Martin, JB Smoove, Nelly, Nick Cannon and Robin Thicke play fictionalized versions of themselves who take another shot at making it big.

FRIDAY, FEB. 11

8 pm everything's gonna be all white (Showtime) | The three-part docuseries explores the history of race in America and the root causes of racial inequalities from the perspective of people of color; features insights from historians, cultural commentators, actors, activists and artists including Dr. Ibram X. Kendi, Jemele Hill, Amanda Seales, Favianna Rodriguez, Tamika Mallory, Margaret Cho and more.

SATURDAY, FEB. 12

Profiled: The Black Man (Discovery+) | The four-part docuseries examines the origins of widespread stereotypes that have impacted the lives of Black men in America for centuries; includes commentary from executive producer Tina Knowles-Lawson, activists DeRay Mckesson and Tamika Mallory, hip-hop journalist/radio personality Sway Calloway and actor Billy Porter (Pose).

SUNDAY, FEB. 13

Bel-Air (Peacock) | This dramatic update to The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air debuts on Super Bowl Sunday with its first three episodes; additional installments drop weekly going forward. (Watch trailer.)

TUESDAY, FEB. 15

9 pm The American Diplomat (PBS) | Learn the story of three Black diplomats — Edward R. Dudley, Terence Todman and Carl Rowan — who broke racial barriers at the U.S. State Department during the Cold War.

10 pm American Reckoning (PBS) | In the latest from FRONTLINE's Un(re)solved initiative, this feature-length doc examines Black resistance to racist violence in Mississippi through the lens of the murder of local NAACP leader Wharlest Jackson, and follows his family's decades-long search for justice.

Oscar Peterson: Black + White (Hulu) | Directed by Barry Avrich, this "docu-concert" explores the life and legacy of jazz icon and composer Oscar Peterson, featuring interviews with Billy Joel, Jon Batiste, Herbie Hancock, Quincy Jones, Ramsey Lewis, Branford Marsalis and Oscar's widow Kelly, plus performances from jazz musicians Jackie Richardson, Measha Brueggergosman, Joe Sealy, Denzal Sinclaire, Larnell Lewis, Reg Schwager, Dave Young, Robi Botos, Stu Harrison, and Daniel Clarke Bouchard.

WEDNESDAY, FEB. 16

Pass the Mic (Tubi) | This new two-hour doc spotlights the rising careers of artists Lil Nas X, Lizzo and Kendrick Lamar.

FRIDAY, FEB. 18

Lincoln's Dilemma (Apple TV+) | The four-part docuseries provides diverse perspectives on Abraham Lincoln's complex journey to end slavery; features the voices of Jeffrey Wright (Westworld) and Leslie Odom, Jr. (Hamilton).

SATURDAY, FEB. 19

8 pm TCM Remembers Sidney Poitier | Turner Classic Movies celebrates the legendary actor with a marathon of his best films including In the Heat of the Night, The Defiant Ones and Something of Value. (Continues through Sunday, Feb. 20, with Good-bye, My Lady, Blackboard Jungle, To Sir, With Love and more).

MONDAY, FEB. 21

11 pm Black Patriots: Heroes of the Civil War (History Channel) | Executive-produced and narrated by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, this one-hour documentary deep-dives into the Civil War and the heroic figures whose bravery and selfless contributions helped define and reshape the reality of a democracy.

TUESDAY, FEB. 22

3 am RACE: Bubba Wallace (Netflix, six episodes) | The streamer chronicles both the personal and professional tracks of race car driver Bubba Wallace's life, tracing his rise to the elite ranks of NASCAR as the only full-time Black driver and the turbulent aftermath that followed his decision to speak out about racial injustice.

9 pm Fannie Lou Hamer's America: An America ReFramed Special (PBS) | Told through Hamer's public speeches, interviews, powerful songs and never-before-seen family photos and archival footage, this new special examines the story of the Mississippi-born sharecropper who became a key figure in advancing voting rights.

WEDNESDAY, FEB. 23

9 pm Frederick Douglass: In Five Speeches (HBO) | Inspired by David Blight's Pulitzer Prize-winning biography, Frederick Douglass: Prophet of Freedom, and executive-produced by historian Henry Louis Gates, Jr., this documentary brings to life the words of this country's most famous anti-slavery activist, with Nicole Beharie, Colman Domingo, Jonathan Majors, Denzel Whitaker and Jeffrey Wright drawing from five legendary speeches.

THURSDAY, FEB. 24

Out of Omaha (ALLBLK.tv) | The award-winning 2018 documentary offers an intimate portrait of twin brothers Darcell and Darrell Trotter, young Black men coming of age in the divided city of Omaha, Neb.

FRIDAY, FEB. 25

3 am Tyler Perry's A Madea Homecoming (Netflix) | Madea (Perry) prepares to welcome her family who have all come into town to celebrate her great-grandson's graduation from college, when some hidden secrets threaten to destroy the joyous family homecoming.

SATURDAY, FEB. 26

8 pm Freedom on the Range (INSP) | This one-hour special highlights five legendary Black cowboys who helped tame the Old West: Nat Love, Bose Ikard, Bass Reeves, Bill Pickett and George McJunkin.