8 Must-See Netflix Documentaries For Black History Month

February is Black History Month and we’re elevating Black voices.
Whether you want to know about big moments in pop culture, the importance of the 14th Amendment, or the Black lives unduly lost in America past and present, put on one of these documentaries on Netflix. Let’s continue our historical education.
What Happened, Miss Simone? (2015)
Who among us can listen to icon Nina Simon’s “Feeling Good” and not radiate joy? There’s more to Simone than her greatest hits though, and this documentary brings you through her life growing up in the South to her rise to stardom and every complicated moment in between.
13th (2016)
There is a long history of racism in America, as illustrated in this documentary. Award-winning filmmaker Ava DuVernay takes a look at the Black experience since the end of the Civil War and posits how slavery is alive and well even now considering the for-profit incarceration system and more.
Who Killed Malcolm X? (2019)
Malcolm X, a legendary activist during the Civil Rights Movement, was assassinated in 1965. This docuseries works to solve who killed Malcolm X and why, including investigating the person convicted of his murder in 1977.
ReMastered: The Two Killings of Sam Cooke (2019)
Sam Cooke, the King of Soul who graced the Billboard 100 charts with 20 singles during his lifetime, was shot and killed at the young and tragic age of 33. This documentary explores his death in the eyes of both the people who knew and loved him and those who enjoyed his music along the way.
A Love Song for Latasha (2019)
Rather than the tragic end that Latasha Harlins met in a corner store in 1991, this short documentary reimagines the life she could have lived in the intervening years had it never happened. So much hope, emotion, and tragedy is packed into the short 19-minute runtime.
Amend: The Fight for America (2021)
This is a look at the history of the 14th Amendment–which gives citizenship, equal protections, and other important rights for anyone born or naturalized in the United States–and how it affects the Black population in the years after the Civil War until now. This is especially poignant in 2025.
For Our Children (2022)
Through adversity, we rise up, we live with hope, and we work to heal our community. That’s the message in this documentary about two mothers whose sons were killed by police. These wonderful Black mothers show what it means to be resilient.
Black Barbie (2023)
“If you’ve gone your whole life and you’ve never seen anything made in your own image, there is damage done.” This documentary explores how important inclusivity is, even with children’s toys. After all, they shape who you become as an adult, including your own self-image.