Dive into the rich and constantly evolving world of Southern Black culture with these five powerful documentaries. Christopher Everett, SDF Program Manager, has selected each film as they shed light on the unique Black experience in the South, showcasing the region’s rich history and the resilient spirit of its communities. With thought-provoking storytelling and impactful education, these documentaries offer an insightful journey into the heart of Southern Black life.
STAY PRAYED UP (2022)
Directors: D.L. Anderson and Matt Durning
Logline: A spirited celebration of 82-year-old Lena Mae Perry and her legendary North Carolina gospel group The Branchettes. The film documents The Branchettes as they record their first, fully live album. Through shared prayer, laughter, hardship and praise, this “church gospel noisy crew” demonstrates that music, like faith, ain’t nothing without some fire inside.
Watch: Rent or buy on Amazon Prime Video
DESCENDANT (2022)
Director: Margaret Brown
Logline: Descendants of the survivors from the Clotilda celebrate their heritage and take command of their legacy, as the discovery of the remains of the last-known slave ship to arrive in the U.S. offers them a tangible link to their ancestors.
Watch: Streaming on Netflix
BLACK BEACH / WHITE BEACH: A TALE OF TWO BEACHES (2017)
Director: Ricky Kelly
Logline: Racial tensions reach a boiling point in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, when two motorcycle festivals — one primarily Black, one predominantly white — converge over Memorial Day weekend in this historically segregated town.
Watch: Streaming on Tubi
MAYNARD (2017)
Director: Sam Pollard
Logline: Interviews with family, friends, and political luminaries combine with archival footage and photographs in this captivating portrait of Maynard Jackson, Atlanta’s first Black mayor, whose extraordinary influence spanned three terms in office.
Watch: Streaming on Tubi
WILMINGTON ON FIRE (2016)
Director: Christopher Everett
Logline: In a five-year passion project that consumed all his resources, director Christopher Everett amassed rare photographs, original research, and testimonies from historians and descendants of the victims to uncover a shocking event that marked a turning point in the politics of the post-Reconstruction South.
Watch: Streaming on KweliTV
