There’s a lot of movie nights (and days) for our families these days, and as Black History Month starts off with Black Lives Matter at School, we would like to celebrate positive representation in the media for View Ridge Families to enjoy at home.
Movies for Preschool-3rd Graders (G)
Netflix’s Bookmarks
Streaming Platform : Netflix
Bookmarks: Celebrating Black Voices is a live-action collection of twelve five minute episodes featuring prominent Black celebrities and artists reading children’s books from Black authors that highlight the Black experience.
Age Rating: 3+ Common Sense Media reviews
Movies for 3rd- 5th Graders (G)
Streaming Platform : Disney +
Akeelah, an 11-year-old girl living in South Los Angeles, discovers she has a talent for spelling, which she hopes will take her to the National Spelling Bee. Despite her mother’s objections, Akeelah doesn’t give up on her goal. She finds help in the form of a mysterious teacher, and along with overwhelming support from her community, Akeelah might just have what it takes to make her dream come true.
Age Rating 8+ Common Sense Media
Documentary Movies for Adults & Older Kids
America to Me
Streaming : Amazon, Hulu, Starz
America to Me – Official Trailer – Starz from Kartemquin Films on Vimeo.
This unscripted documentary series presents an exclusive look into an academic year at suburban Chicago’s Oak Park and River Forest High School. Students, teachers and administrators from one of the country’s highest-performing and diverse public schools are profiled in the face of decades-old racial and educational inequities. The series delves into the experiences of the racially diverse student population, sparking conversations about what has and has not succeeded in the quest to achieve racial equity and overcome bias in education.
Age Rating: 13+ (Language) Common Sense Media Reviews
Article on ‘America to Me’ shows why all the black kids sit together in the cafeteria
Narrative Drama for Adults and Older Kids
DEI Equi-Tea Film Discussion: Feature Film Just Mercy
Just Mercy
Streaming : Hulu, Amazon Prime, HBO Max
After graduating from Harvard, Bryan Stevenson heads to Alabama to defend those wrongly condemned or those not afforded proper representation. One of his first cases is that of Walter McMillian, who is sentenced to die in 1987 for the murder of an 18-year-old girl, despite evidence proving his innocence. In the years that follow, Stevenson encounters racism and legal and political maneuverings as he tirelessly fights for McMillian’s life.
Age Rating : 13+ (violence) Common Sense Media
Curriculum Guide from Teach With Movies
DEI Equi-Tea Film Discussion: “What is Justice?”
Wednesday, February 24, 2021 Equi-Tea: What are Our Community Values
DEI Committee is hosting a safe space conversation in an ongoing series to build a community charter. This conversation is honors the Black Lives Matter at School Curriculum on exploring the question “What is Restorative Justice?”.
About the Film
After graduating from Harvard, Bryan Stevenson heads to Alabama to defend those wrongly condemned or those not afforded proper representation. One of his first cases is that of Walter McMillian, who is sentenced to die in 1987 for the murder of an 18-year-old girl, despite evidence proving his innocence. In the years that follow, Stevenson encounters racism and legal and political maneuverings as he tirelessly fights for McMillian’s life.
A powerful true story about the Equal Justice Initiative, the people we represent, and the importance of confronting injustice, Just Mercy is a bestselling book by Bryan Stevenson that has been adapted into a feature film.
Streaming on HBO MAX, Amazon, and Hulu. If you would like to participate in the conversation, but do not have access to these streaming platforms, please reach dei@viewridgeschools.org