The Democrats Abroad (DA) Global Veterans and Military Families (VMF) Caucus is pleased to recommend films to watch in recognition of Black History Month which takes place in February 2025. While some of the works are military/veteran related, others are also interesting historical pieces. Scroll down to have a look at our suggestions, and feel free to drop us a comment on our social media to let us know what you thought about these truly wonderful movies!
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Movie Recommendation #1: “The Tuskegee Airmen” (1995) – Fireballs of high-speed air action explode off the screen in this exciting story of the “Fighting 99th” - the first squadron of Black American pilots to be allowed to fight for their country. It is 1943 and the Germans are winning the Second World War as the U.S. suffers huge losses on the ground and in the air. Four newly recruited pilots are united by a desire to serve their country, at a time when black flyers are not welcomed in the Air Force. Now, through the brutal demands of their training, to the perils of flying over nations at war, the men they call “The Tuskegee Airmen” must undertake the riskiest mission of their lives- to prove to America that courage knows no color. Their success could earn them respect, save lives, and help win a terrible war. Their failure could destroy more hopes and dreams than their own.
Movie Recommendation #2: “Selma” (2014) – This acclaimed film tells the gripping and moving true story of the pivotal moment in Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s epic civil rights struggle - the 1965 protest march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama to secure voting rights for African-Americans. Starring British actor David Oyelowo (The Butler, A Most Violent Year) as Martin Luther King, Jr. alongside Tom Wilkinson, Carmen Ejogo, Tim Roth and Oprah Winfrey, “Selma” celebrates the 50th anniversary of the passing of the voting rights act and this triumphant story of the power of the people.
Movie Recommendation #3: “The Six Triple Eight” (2024) – Almost a full century after the end of World War II, new stories about the quiet heroism of everyday individuals continue to come to light. In this story, it tells of the war’s only Women’s Army Corps unit of color, which stars Kerry Washington. The 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion contributed to the war effort in a unique way: by sorting through 17 million pieces of back-logged mail that hadn’t been delivered to American soldiers far from home. In the face of discrimination and a vast, unfamiliar country divided by global conflict, these 855 women brought hope to the front lines. “The Six Triple Eight” tells the inspiring true story of the incredible and brave women of the first and only Women’s Army Corps unit of color to be stationed overseas during World War II.
Movie Recommendation #4: “The Color Purple” (1985) – An American epic coming-of-age period drama film directed by Steven Spielberg, it is based on the Pulitzer Prize–winning 1982 novel of the same name by Alice Walker and was Spielberg’s eighth film as a director, marking a turning point in his career as it was a departure from the summer blockbusters for which he had become known. It was also the first feature film directed by Spielberg for which John Williams did not compose the music, instead featuring a score by Quincy Jones, who also produced. The film stars Whoopi Goldberg in her breakthrough role, with Danny Glover, Oprah Winfrey (in her film debut), Margaret Avery, and Adolph Caesar. Taking place in rural Georgia but filmed in North Carolina, “The Color Purple” tells the story of a young African-American girl and the brutal experiences she endured including domestic violence, incest, child sexual abuse, poverty, racism, and sexism.
Movie Recommendation #5: “Men of Honor” (2000) – A true story, Carl Brashear (played by Cuba Gooding Jr.) is an ambitious sharecropper who joins the U.S. Navy to become the world's first black master diver. But as he works through diving training, the bitter and racist Master Chief Billy Sunday (Robert De Niro) sets out to make Carl's journey as difficult as possible. Despite the entire Navy doubting his potential and sabotaging his training, the determined Carl proves that he can overcome the discrimination around him.
Movie Recommendation #6: “42” (2013) – In 1946, Branch Rickey (Harrison Ford), legendary manager of the Brooklyn Dodgers, defies major league baseball’s notorious color barrier by signing Jackie Robinson (Chadwick Boseman) to the team. The heroic act puts both Rickey and Robinson in the firing line of the public, the press and other players. Facing open racism from all sides, Robinson demonstrates true courage and admirable restraint by not reacting in kind and lets his undeniable talent silence the critics for him.
Movie Recommendation #7: “Da 5 Bloods”(2020) – Spike Lee’s film, “Da 5 Bloods,” pulls the traumas of black men’s experiences of the Vietnam War out of obscurity and puts them in the forefront of political consciousness. The film tells the story of four Vietnam War veterans and lifelong friends, distanced but not estranged, who regroup in Ho Chi Minh City with a dual mission: to recover the body of their former commanding officer and to collect a stash of gold bars that they’d buried after the firefight in which he was killed.
Movie Recommendation #8: “Red Tails” (2012) – It’s 1944 - as the war in Europe continues to take its toll on Allied forces, the Pentagon brass has no recourse but to consider unorthodox options - including the untried and untested African-American pilots of the experimental Tuskegee training program. Just as the young Tuskegee men are on the brink of being shut down and shipped back home, they are given the ultimate chance to show their courage. Against all the odds, with something to prove and everything to lose, these intrepid young airmen take to the skies to fight for their country - and the fate of the free world.
Movie Recommendation #9: “Marshall” (2017) – Before becoming the first African-American Supreme Court Justice, Thurgood Marshall was a young lawyer working for the NAACP. In 1940, Marshall (Chadwick Boseman) is sent to Connecticut where he and Jewish local attorney Sam Friedman (Josh Gad) both feel the effects of the era’s racism as they defend a black chauffeur (Sterling K. Brown) accused of the rape and attempted murder of his wealthy white employer (Kate Hudson). Gripping true-life legal drama co-stars James Cromwell and Dan Stevens.
Movie Recommendation #10: “Malcolm X” (1992) – Spike Lee’s daring biography features Denzel Washington in a dynamic performance as the black revolutionary leader. The film follows Malcolm’s troubled childhood in Michigan, his days as a thief in Harlem, his time in prison and conversion there to Islam, his family life, and his work as an activist for the African-American community.
Movie Recommendation #11: “A Journal for Jordan” (2021) – Directed by Denzel Washington and starring Michael B. Jordan with a screenplay by Virgil Williams, “A Journal for Jordan” is based on the true story of First Sergeant Charles Monroe King (Jordan), a soldier deployed to Iraq who begins to keep a journal of love and advice for his infant son. Back at home, senior New York Times editor Dana Canedy (Chanté Adams) revisits the story of her unlikely, life-altering relationship with King and his enduring devotion to her and their child. A sweeping account of a once-in-a-lifetime love, the film is a powerful reminder of the importance of family.
Movie Recommendation #12: “Glory” (1989) – The heart-stopping story of the first black regiment to fight for the North in the Civil War, “Glory” stars Matthew Broderick, Denzel Washington, Cary Elwes and Morgan Freeman. Broderick and Elwes are the idealistic young Bostonians who lead the regiment; Freeman is the inspirational sergeant who unites the troops; and Denzel Washington, in an Oscar(r) - winning performance (1989, Best Supporting Actor), is the runaway slave who embodies the indomitable spirit of the 54th Regiment of Massachusetts.
Movie Recommendation #13: “Antwone Fisher” (2002) – Denzel Washington makes his triumphant directorial debut and Derek Luke shines in his first big-screen role. Inspired by the true life experiences of its title character, Antwone Fisher tells the dramatic story of a troubled sailor (Luke) who is ordered to see a naval psychiatrist (Washington) about his volatile temper. Little does he know that his first step into the doctor’s office will lead him on a remarkable emotional journey to confront his painful past--and connect with the family he never knew.
Movie Recommendation #14: “Harriet” (2019) – Based on the thrilling and inspirational life of an iconic American freedom fighter, Harriet tells the extraordinary tale of Harriet Tubman’s escape from slavery and transformation into one of America’s greatest heroes. Her courage, ingenuity, and tenacity freed hundreds of slaves and changed the course of history.
Movie Recommendation #15: “Judas and the Black Messiah” (2021) – FBI informant William O’Neal infiltrates the Illinois Black Panther Party and is tasked with keeping tabs on their charismatic leader, Chairman Fred Hampton. A career thief, O’Neal revels in the danger of manipulating both his comrades and his handler, Special Agent Roy Mitchell. Hampton’s political prowess grows just as he’s falling in love with fellow revolutionary Deborah Johnson. Meanwhile, a battle wages for O’Neal’s soul. Will he align with the forces of good? Or subdue Hampton and The Panthers by any means, as FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover commands?
Movie Recommendation #16: “Hidden Figures” (2016) – A biographical drama based on a book by Margot Lee Shetterly, “Hidden Figures” is a must-watch. Set in the 1950s and 1960s, it follows the true story of three African-American women who worked for NASA as “human computers” at the Langley Research Centre. As a result of their mathematical and engineering skills, Katherine Johnson (Taraji P. Henson), Dorothy Vaughan (Octavia Spencer) and Mary Jackson (Janelle Monae) participate in the early days of the program to send American astronauts into space. In the racist climate of the times, the three women are forced to work in the segregated West Area Computers Division. As women and African-Americans, they face continued discrimination. Despite producing high-quality work, they’re rejected for supervisory roles and they also receive dismissive and disparaging responses from colleagues. When the Space Task Group needs someone to out-perform Russian mathematicians, Katherine is assigned to the job. During the space launch of John Glenn, she makes crucial calculations that help to ensure the mission’s ultimate success.
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The VMF Caucus, proudly consisting of veterans, military family members, and strong allies of veterans and military family causes, has a membership of approximately 1,300 members located in every corner of the globe.
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