February is here, and with it comes hoards of content for us to celebrate Black History Month — and while some of it is genuinely inspiring, much of it is tired and trite.
Too often, America’s Black History Month is reduced to a few anecdotes about slavery and civil rights. However, the past few years have caused a shift in the greater consciousness. Trump’s presidency exposed many dangerous and frightening corners of our country. In the face of such enmity, it’s impossible to deny that we have much work to do. Summer 2020 was a catalyst for a more nuanced conversation about systemic racism , but the good work is constant and daily.
Although the rich tapestry of Black History — much less conversations about our present realities — cannot be contained in one month, February is an exciting time to commemorate Blackness. From learning about Black pioneers to celebrating Black culture, many industries join in the opportunities to celebrate.
The film industry usually bets on the velocity of Black History Month to release projects like civil rights biopics, the occasional Black-led comedy or blockbuster. Such was the case with Black Panther, which was released with much hype in February 2018. And 2022 is no exception.
Hollywood pretty much screeched to a halt for a large part of 2020 during the pandemic. This past year is now providing a bevy of delayed content for our viewing pleasure. The pandemic also helped streaming services gain a foothold in movie-watching cultures, so a large number of this month’s most anticipated releases will happen online.
Here’s a mere smattering of the latest streaming features we are eagerly anticipating:
