In response to rising Black Lives Matter protests and a deep need for change in the United States, Disney+ created a category on their home page called "Celebrate Black Stories." It does not take long to click through the titles and see that Disney needs more Black stories. There are some great movies and shows listed, but including The Lion King is a stretch, and the film should not be placed in this category.
For now, a Disney+ subscriber can learn from the existing films in the library. Some are theatrically released movies, and others are Disney Channel Originals. Similarly, some are based on true stories while others are fictional creations. It is vital now and always to listen to Black voices and support Black artists. Here are ten films on Disney+ highlighting Black actors.
Twitches (2005)
Tia and Tamera Mowry were seen for many years on Disney Channel in Sister, Sister reruns before they filmed their own Disney Channel Original Movies. The twins play Alex and Camryn in Twitches and Twitches, Too.
They are good witches who must use their powers to overcome evil. These movies were especially important because they were the first of Disney's many Halloween films to feature Black female leads. These are suspenseful and interesting films that are enjoyable to watch at any time of year.
Jump In! (2007)
After he got the High School Musical franchise going, Corbin Bleu was in Jump in! with Keke Palmer. Corbin plays Izzy, a teenager following in the footsteps of his boxer champion dad, Kenneth Daniels. David Reivers, Corbin's real dad, plays Kenneth. Izzy's story follows a plot of several other DCOMs.
While Izzy is supposed to be pursuing the athletic dream of his parent, he ends up falling in love with a new talent instead. In Izzy’s case, the new dream is Double Dutch jump-roping. The film is a great story of a father and son overcoming new challenges together. The soundtrack also features Corbin's hit song "Push it to the Limit."
The Color of Friendship (2000)
Set in the 1970s and based on a true story, The Color of Friendship (2000) is about two teenage girls, Mahree Bok and Piper Dellums. Mahree is a white South African exchange student who goes to Washington, D.C. to live with the Dellums, a Black American family.
While she is away from home, Mahree’s own country goes through apartheid. Mahree learns a great deal from her host family about the evils of racism. Congressman Dellums loans her the book Roots by Alex Haley, and Piper Dellums becomes Mahree’s truest and wisest friend in the midst of a world-changing time.
Let it Shine (2012)
Two great films focusing on religious music came out in 2012. One was Joyful Noise with Queen Latifah, Dolly Parton, Jeremy Jordan, and Keke Palmer. The other was Let it Shine, a Disney Channel Original Movie infused with hip-hop and gospel music.
Brandon Mychal Smith, Trevor Jackson, Tyler James Williams, and Coco Jones star in Let it Shine, and it's a great choice for a music-related DCOM.
Sister Act (1992)
Sister Act and Sister Act 2 are on Disney+. Whoopi Goldberg is a lounge singer named Deloris whom the Witness Protection Program puts in a San Francisco convent after she witnesses a crime.
Deloris brings the nuns the music they were missing all along. The sequel is just as lively and notably features Ryan Toby in the school choir's performance of Edwin Hawkins' "Oh Happy Day," a song that is widely considered to be the first gospel track to land on the charts.
Ruby Bridges (1998)
This film is based on the true story of American civil rights activist and author Ruby Bridges. At six years old, Bridges was the first Black student to integrate into the local elementary school in New Orleans. She attended school daily in spite of blatant acts of racism inflicted upon her by the school's white population. Protesters would stand outside of the school shouting vulgar remarks at her, holding up signs onto which they had written racial slurs. Bridges was escorted into class by US federal marshals due to this violence.
Bridges published her memoir Through My Eyes in 1999, one year after The Wonderful World of Disney portrayed her experiences in a movie. The actual footage from 1960 is captured in the film The Children Were Watching. Bridges published a children's book in 2009 called Ruby Bridges Goes to School: My True Story.
Black Panther (2018)
Anthony Mackie candidly discussed the lack of diversity at Marvel with Daveed Diggs in Variety's "Actors on Actors" series. Mackie cited Black Panther as the only Marvel film to employ a large number of Black professionals on set and asked why these professionals were not hired to work on sets with largely white casts.
To see the film involved in such an important conversation, watch the story of T'Challa (Chadwick Boseman), a king who must use his power as Black Panther to fight his enemies and save his people.
Remember the Titans (2000)
In Remember the Titans, a white high school football coach (Will Patton) is demoted and replaced by a Black football coach (Denzel Washington). The film tells the story of their journey from division to leadership. The 1971 newly-integrated high school football team learns from the coaches the importance of fighting discrimination and working as a team.
Don't miss the opportunity to revisit (or see for the first time) this film, which is based on a true story. The film won two NAACP Image Awards, among many other accolades. It received Outstanding Motion Picture, and Denzel Washington received an Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture.
The Princess and the Frog (2009)
Over ten years ago, Disney finally created their first Black princess, Tiana, in The Princess and the Frog. She is the beautiful leading lady in a twist on the classic fairytale. Tiana (Anika Noni Rose) wants to own her own restaurant, but she meets a frog who just wants to be human again.
The two share a kiss that sets a Louisiana bayou adventure in motion. Anika Noni Rose sang her number "Almost There" as part of the second installment of Disney Family Sing-Along, where she was joined by Chloe x Halle.
College Road Trip (2008)
College Road Trip is a hilarious adventure between Martin Lawrence and Raven-Symoné as father and daughter. Raven's character, Melanie, is an over-achiever with big dreams for college. She wants to leave the nest and experience all life has to offer, but her dad wants to keep her close to home.
The movie is a (sadly) rare example of a theatrical Disney film centered on a Black family. It is also one of the funniest and most heartfelt movies to enjoy for the summer.