For the past several weeks, the coronavirus pandemic of 2020 has taken a back seat to Black Lives Matter protests after the killing of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and George Floyd. These killings – followed by protests – occur every five years or so, but this year the protests are having a different impact.

While looking for some background noise to work to, I logged into Amazon Prime and found a new category: “Black History, Hardship & Hope”. Amazon curated a collection of documentaries and biopics about the black experience in America. This collection goes beyond the civil rights movement, however. It includes topics from the justice system & gentrification, to transgender & gay rights in the black community.

It cannot go without comment that Disney+ and Hulu have not similarly adjusted or added new titles to their content. Netflix, on the other hand, has recently added a Black Lives Matter collection. Still, why should the other services make me search for that content at a time like this?

I applaud Amazon for providing this content to its Prime Members; for putting it front and center on their platform. However, they still have some work to do as it pertains to their employment practices…but that is a conversation for another day. For now, along with their recent large donation, I’d like to see Amazon do the following:

1. Make this category permanent with a rotating collection.
2. Host webinars for independent creators to learn how they can have their work published on the platform.
3. Create similar categories for other under-represented & marginalized communities.

That being said, some of the titles I’m looking forward to viewing are:

Just Mercy

 

The Uncomfortable Truth

 

I Am Not Your Negro

 

The Last Black Man in San Francisco

All of the content Amazon curated is from the 21st century and is free to all Amazon Prime members.

What movies or documentaries about the black experience have you watched or will you be watching? Let us know in the comments below, or hit us up on Twitter or Facebook.