Top 10 African-American movies of all-time

Top 10 African-American movies of all-time
By Eric Williams

There have been so many well-made African-American movies throughout the years that, picking out my top 10 took twice as long as it did for me to actually write the column. However, I have managed to pare the list down from its original 25 or so, to my favorite 10 of all-time. Of course, this is one man’s opinion, but in order, here is my top 10 of all-time – all films that every African-American should see by the way.


Roots (1977)
This mini-series, which was, for all intents and purposes, a movie in disguise, is the number one movie of all-time for most African-Americans. The six-night epic raised the consciousness of every African-American living in the United States about the struggles of their ancestors and spurred even more advances in the civil rights movement, which was still going on at the time.
The script, storyline and performances of the star-studded cast were outstanding. There will never be another Roots or Alex Haley, the globally renowned award-wining author whose book the film was based on.

The Color Purple (1985)
The performances of Danny Glover, Whoopi Goldberg, Oprah Winfrey and Margaret Avery made this touching film an instant classic. It also raised the consciousness of every African-American female in the United States about domestic violence. All I can say is you’d better have some tissues ready whether you’re a man or woman when you watch this movie. This touching film belongs in everyone’s collection.

A Raisin in The Sun (1961)
This remake of the Broadway play made a powerful statement that depicted life in America for the majority of African-Americans in the U.S. at that time. The cast, led by the unforgettable performance of Sidney Poitier, put on a stunning performance that has stood the test of time for over four decades.

Coming to America (1988)
Eddie Murphy was at his very best in this movie and sidekick, Arsenio Hall wasn’t too shabby either. The storyline, script and performances of the actors, including James Earl Jones, were all extraordinary. This movie was so good in fact, that it is the only comedy on my top 10 all-time list. This is a flick for the whole family.

Rosewood (1997)
I don’t know if this movie would make anyone else’s all-time list, but for me, the performances of Ving Rhames, Don Cheadle and Jon Voight put this film about an angry white mob that destroys a neighboring black town in search of an escaped convict, over the top. This powerful movie also reminded African-Americans of some of the terrible injustices many of their ancestors suffered through.

Soul Food (1997)
This powerful movie epitomized life in present-day America for many African-American families. The performances of the all-star cast were outstanding and the storyline was superb. This powerful movie, which dealt with nearly every scenario a family could possibly have, became an instant classic almost as soon as it was released.

Cooley High (1975)
This film is one of the requisite black movies every African-American has to see. Cooley High wasn’t necessarily a powerful, moving film that raised anyone’s awareness about anything – it was just a great movie about some high school kids and their triumphs and tribulations on their way to adult-hood that mirrored life in America for many young African-American men during that time. Another definite must-see.

Cornbread, Earl and Me (1975)
Let’s see … the late, great Rosalind Cash and a young star-in-the-making in Lawrence Fishburne. A pretty good plot and several excellent performances made this movie instantly likeable and one of the most loved of all-time.

Amistad (1997)
Morgan Freeman and Djimon Hounsou make this movie that is based on a little-known but important chapter in African-American history an unforgettable masterpiece. Amistad tells of a bloody revolt of African captives on a Spanish slave ship off the coast of America in 1839, and the investigations and trials that followed. It concludes with a precedent-setting argument by aging former president John Quincy Adams before the U.S. Supreme Court.

Love and Basketball (2000)
Omar Epps and Sanaa Lathan made this new millennium movie one of my all-time favorites. The movie was a well-made mixture of a sports /love story that climaxes with a memorable game of one-on-one between Lathan and Epps that will make a grown man pull out his hanky.Contact Eric at eklass66@yahoo.com.