The Top 10 Best Civil Rights Movies

5. One Night in Miami

Civil rights movies are more relevant than ever these days and even as I sat planning out this list, a new film was released that demanded to be included. One Night in Miami features a fictional meeting between Malcolm X (Kingsley Ben-Adir), Muhammad Ali (Eli Goree), Jim Brown (Aldis Hodge), and Sam Cooke (Leslie Odom Jr.), following Ali’s incredible title fight with Sonny Liston in 1964. The four men were some of the strongest pillars during the civil rights movement thanks to the barriers they broke through in their respective fields. However, One Night in Miami showcases that there were schisms within the movement when it came to the details. Despite each of these men being legendary, One Night in Miami is a reflection on the fact that they were simply human and had faults of their own. These faults didn’t stop them from becoming inspirations when the world needed them most, though. 

4. The Long Walk Home 

One of the biggest events in the civil rights movement was the Montgomery bus boycott and most children in our country have heard the story of Rosa Parks and how she stood up to- er, took a seat against oppression. The Long Walk Home doesn’t tell her story though, instead, it focuses on the black community as they protested the discriminatory public transportation policies of the day. Whoopi Goldberg stars as Odessa Cotter, a woman who was forced to make a grueling daily trek to and from her job as part of the protest. Fortunately, she finds an ally in Miriam Thompson (Sissy Spacek) who offers to drive her to work twice a week to ease the fatigue of; you guessed it, the long walk home. The film has its faults, but The Long Walk Home is a family film that can help begin the conversation about the history of the movement and what it meant for this country. After all, learning about the past can help ensure we never repeat it.   

3. Malcolm X

Two of the biggest names in black cinema (and cinema in general) teamed up to tell the story of one of the greatest men in the civil rights movement. Spike Lee directed Denzel Washington in the titular role of the biopic, Malcolm X. Born Malcolm Little, he changed his surname to X after converting to Islam while serving time for several robberies. Upon his release, he dedicated his life to the advancement of the black community in America. Initially, his views were quite polarizing since he preached condemnation of the “white man” and for black Americans to pull away from their longtime oppressors. That all changed later in his life after a pilgrimage to Mecca which opened his eyes to the fact his fellow Muslims came from all manners of backgrounds. After that, he sought unity between all races for the betterment of humanity, right up to his assassination. 

2. Mudbound

Perhaps one of the most difficult civil rights movies to watch on this list is the gut-wrenching Mudbound that portrays the hateful discrimination of the South. The film focuses on two families tied together in poverty during World War II. While most members of both families are relatively close-knit, lending support to one another out of necessity, the patriarch of the white family is a grotesque racist who represents the old ways. The future is shown through the families’ youngest who return from the war with a more enlightened ideology when it comes to race. There is little either can do against the deep-rooted hatred of the times, but that doesn’t stop them from becoming good friends who come to depend on each other. While Mudbound doesn’t feature events tied to the movement, it takes a hard look at the world that created it.     

1. Selma

You can’t talk about the civil rights movement without mentioning Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., one of the greatest Americans to ever live, and a man who changed the world thanks to the power of his convictions. That’s why the number one slot on this list of civil war movies belongs to Selma, which tells the story of the 1965 Selma to Montgomery voting rights marches he led. Dr. King (David Oyelowo)  was a known pacifist who condemned violence in all its forms, even in the face of constant death threats against him and his family. The virtue and resilience of King and his followers during these marches directly led to the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which was one of the most significant moments of the civil rights movement. Though Selma only focuses on a small portion of Dr. King’s extraordinary life, it’s enough to reveal what great men are capable of even when it seems like the world is against them. 

Honorable Mention: Ali

Will Smith took on the role of one of the greatest boxers in the history of the sport, Muhammad Ali AKA Cassius Clay. Ali didn’t intend to become an activist when he stepped into the ring for the first time, but as the saying goes, some have greatness thrust upon them. Of course, Ali is also famous for proclaiming, “I am the greatest, I said that even before I knew I was”, but he probably had no idea what that would mean in the end. His incredible pugilist skills made him a force outside the ring as he used his fame and influence to inspire the black community to believe in the greatness within themselves. While Ali didn’t manage to earn a spot on my list of the best boxing movies, I have to give it an honorable mention here because of the athlete’s influence on the civil rights movement.    

Shout-Out: Remember the Titans

Baseball might be the official sport of America, but football is by far and away the biggest. So, I’m giving a shout out to a football movie that follows the legendary coach Herman Boone (Denzel Washington), who saw first hand the initial growing pains that came with the desegregation of schools at the time. He was appointed the head coach at T. C. Williams High School and famously helped ease tension with his attitude that he only cared about how capable a player was, not the color of his skin. That mentality allowed the Titans to go on to an incredible 13-0 season in 1971, securing his legacy. Of course, Remember the Titans takes a few liberties with the facts to make the tale a bit more dramatic, but that doesn’t make the truth behind it any less inspiring. 

There you have it, the best civil rights movies of all time. There are a lot more out there and I’d love to hear some of your favorites in the comments below. As always, I’ll be updating this list as new civil rights movies are released. So, be sure to check back from time to time in order to see how the rankings might change. Until then, keep fighting the good fight.