In 1987, after being petitioned by the National Women’s History Project, Congress passed Pub. L. 100-9 which designated the month of March 1987 as Women’s History Month. And since 1988, U.S. presidents have issued annual proclamations designating the month of March as Women’s History Month, which is recognized and celebrated every year in a variety of ways, all across the country, throughout the entire month. As this year’s Women’s History Month of celebrations comes to an end, here are 20 feature documentaries on notable black women in world history that you should add to your watch-lists, not only to close out the month, but to watch and appreciate beyond it. After all, black women should be celebrated every month, all year, not just in March. These films are all accessible, available in at least one home video format (DVD, Blu-ray, VOD, Digital Download, YouTube, Netflix etc). This is by no means a definitive list, so feel free to add your suggestions in the comment section...

To understand our present, we must understand our past. These programs will give you a closer look at the history of racism and injustice against black Americans that lead us to this moment.

We reached out to the noted historian and antiracist scholar to recommend a reading list.