Throughout Black History Month, people celebrate the contributions of African Americans throughout history. Their contributions to the entertainment world are some of the most prominent in movies and music, but also some of the most underrepresented. By celebrating the contributions of Black actors and singers, we can bring more attention to them and their stories.

Music can be one of the most influential parts of someone’s life, and listening to music from black artists is a great way to celebrate their influence on the music world. Rihanna is a singer and actress who has had major success in the music industry. Some of her hits include Diamonds, Love the Way You Lie, and Lift Me Up which was featured in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever – a prominent Black film. Rhianna has received recognition for her musical talent and will be performing the infamous super bowl halftime show on Sunday, February 14.

Whitney Houston, a black female artist nicknamed “the voice”, also produces music that you should check out. Her popular songs include I Will Always Love You, I Wanna Dance With Somebody, and I Have Nothing. Sadly, Houston passed away in February 2012, however her legacy is being continued in the new movie about her called Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody.

One of the most well-known movies that highlights both women’s rights and black history is Hidden Figures. This amazing film, directed by Theodore Melfi, is a movie that tells the true story of Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughn, and Mary Jackson. These three women are computers at NASA that are working to put astronaut John Glen in orbit. The movie focuses on Kathernine Johnson and her journey to becoming a mathematician and becoming the first black woman to work in her group at NASA. The story of Hidden Figures takes place in 1961, during the peak of the civil rights movements, and it was the beginning of diversity in the workfield for large companies. After its premiere in 2016, It has demonstrated how far we’ve come with diversity in workplaces and where we still need to go. Its lasting effects include empowerment for both women in STEM and people of all races. 

Another movie that highlights an important black figure is Devotion. This aviation film came out in 2022 and tells the story of the Navy’s first Black pilot, Jesse Brown. While in battle over North Korea during the Korean War, Jesse Brown’s plane suffered a hit, and he crashed. Due to the inability of the United States to safely enter North Korea and conduct a recovery mission, his body was never recovered. Today, there are efforts to ‘bring Jesse home’, (safely finding and recovering his body) and Devotion is one way to bring attention to the efforts.