Streaming tips

On race in America... Descendant

One of the best documentaries of the year, Descendant revisits the story of the last known ship to carry African slaves to the U.S. The 2019 discovery of the wreck of the Clotilda inspires filmmaker Margaret Brown to mount a deeper investigation into the Alabama settlement founded by those captives and their descendants’ ongoing exploitation by the family responsible for the Clotilda’s illegal journey. Netflix

Aftershock

Black women in the U.S. are far more likely to die from pregnancy-related complications than white women. Through the stories of two victims, this jarring documentary exposes the depth of this hidden epidemic. Hulu

Who We Are: A Chronicle of Racism in America

Attorney Jeffery Robinson packs a college semester’s worth of knowledge about racism in America into this two-hour movie.The centerpiece is the myth-busting, ultimately hopeful lecture that he’s been delivering for years. Netflix

Riotsville U.S.A.

In the 1960s, as Black communities were rising up against racial injustice, the U.S. government built simulated towns—“riotsvilles”— to train law enforcement in responding to violent protest. The film portrays the project as a catalyst in the militarization of policing. Roku

Let the World See

If not for Mamie Till-Mobley, the 1955 beating and lynching of her 14-year-old son, Emmett Till, would have been a crime quickly forgotten. This three-part documentary shows how Till-Mobley’s bravery helped ignite the civil rights movement. Hulu

Underground Railroad:The Secret History

This four-part series follows archaeologists as they hunt for forgotten routes by which slaves escaped to freedom. Discovery+