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Black History Month TV and Streaming Calendar 2023

Here's a rundown of February titles and curated playlists that honor Black artists and celebrate Black heritage.

by Aaron Pruner | January 31, 2023 | Comments

TAGGED AS: Black History Month, Comedy, documentary, Drama, movies, streaming, television, TV

Letitia Wright as Shuri in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

(Photo by ©Marvel Studios)

To celebrate Black History Month, networks and streaming platforms are offering custom slates of films, TV series, documentaries, and specials that honor the Black experience. The streamers have gathered their titles together in entertainment hubs that feature Black performances, artistry, storytelling, and more. These collections are highlighted for February, but many of the spotlight titles are available for viewing year round.

The month will see the return of Peacock drama series Bel-Air for its second season, as well as the final seasons of FX’s Snowfall and Hulu’s Wu-Tang Clan: An American Saga.

On the movie front, Marvel’s Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is available on Disney+. Eddie Murphy headlines the Kenya Barris–directed comedy You People, starring opposite Jonah Hill, who co-wrote the movie.

For documentary fans, Netflix’s Bill Russell: Legend digs into the life and legacy of the basketball icon. On Peacock, Lowndes County and the Road to Black Power will tell the story of the local movement and young SNCC organizers who fought for voting rights, and Black Power, in Alabama. Hulu’s The 1619 Project is a six-episode docuseries focused on reframing America’s history by placing the consequences of slavery and the contributions of Black Americans at the very center of our national narrative. PBS special programming like Fight the Power: How Hip Hop Changed the World and Black Broadway: A Proud History, A Limitless Future will celebrate the work and legacy of Black performers and musicians who have made a lasting impact on society.

Read on for the month’s TV and streaming highlights. We’ll update the calendar as additional titles are announced, so check back for new programming.

Streaming | Calendar

Streaming

Netflix, Black History Is American History

Murphy- and Hill-starring film You People is just one of many new projects coming to Netflix in February. New family series My Dad the Bounty Hunter arrives on the animation front. Original sitcom The Upshaws return for season 3. New documentary Bill Russell: Legend explores the life and legacy of the basketball great, and the Jada Pinkett-Smith produced docuseries African Queens: Njinga digs into the legendary warrior, and her rise to power. New content aside, the streamer’s got a plethora of films and series available to watch, including Bad Boys, Bad Boys II, Tyler Perry’s I Can Do Bad All By Myself, Naomi Osaka, Colin in Black and White, When They See Us, 13th, Is That Black Enough For You?, and Trigger Warning with Killer Mike, among many many more.

Amazon Prime Video, Culture Rated | Black Lead

Amazon’s curated list is chock full of an array of entertainment, from prestige dramas to comedies that uplift and define the culture. Original programs like The Boys, Harlem and Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan fall under the platform’s Black Lead vertical. Movies like Nanny, Are We There Yet?, Honk For Jesus, Save Your Soul, and To Sir, With Love will also be available to stream. Documentaries like Something from Nothing: The Art of Rap, Mr. Dynamite: The Rise of James Brown, and The Black Church: This is Our Story, This is Our Song are just a handful of titles available for viewing in the month. Other offerings include Lizzo’s Watch Out for the Big Grrrls, Cinderella, Tom Clancy’s Without Remorse, and Freevee original series like Pretty Hard Cases and Timewasters.

HBO Max, Black Voices

The Warner Bros.–backed streaming service highlights films, documentaries, biopics, original programming, and animation that focus on the Black voices (in front of, and behind the camera) through a central programming hub titled, “Black Voices,” which will remain active and updated throughout the year. Watch celebrated documentaries like A Choice of Weapons: Inspired By Gordon Parks, Say Hey, Willie Mays!, Milestone Generations, Tina and original programming options like Abbott Elementary, Rap Sh!t, Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty, Random Acts of Flyness, South Side, and A Black Lady Sketch Show. Movies like Fruitvale Station, Harriett, and Ride Along are just a little taste of what’s on the docket. Additionally, on February 1, the streamer will highlight the American Black Film Festival (ABFF) shorts, including HBO Short Film Award winner: Another Country, along with finalists Talk Black, The Family Meeting, and Pens & Pencils.

Hulu, Black Stories Always

Hulu offers a collection of content that runs the gamut from scripted series, reality shows, music documentaries, and original movies. New docuseries The 1619 Project is one of many projects exploring the Black experience on the platform and it’s joined by other original docs like Grails: When Sneakers Change the Game and The Hair Tales. The streamer’s large array of offerings also feature original films like Three Ways: Andscape, and mainstays on the platform, including The Hate You Give and How Stella Got Her Groove Back, thought-provoking programs like FX series Atlanta, Snowfall, and Kindred, Hulu original series Wu-Tang: An American Saga, sitcoms like Abbott Elementary, Living Single, and 2 Dope Queens, and more.

Disney+, Celebrate Black Stories

The streamer’s “Black History” collection is newly added in February and will dig deeper into the powerful history of Black artists, athletes, and creators across film, music, culture, and beyond. Titles like 20/20 Presents Black Panther: In Search of Wakanda, Cool Runnings, Rise, and Questlove’s directorial debut Summer of Soul will all be available under the new collection.

Under the “Celebrate Black Stories” header, viewers will find the highly anticipated subscription streaming premiere of Marvel’s Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Animated hit, The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder returns with new episodes for its second season. As well, this month will feature the highly-anticipated premiere of Marvel’s Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur on Friday, February 10 to Disney Channel before the first six episodes of the program come to Disney+ on Wednesday, February 15.

Celebrate Black History Month with ABC and ABC News

ABC’s Emmy Award-winning Soul of a Nation will return with a one-hour special, “Black in Vegas,” which will explore the history of Black entertainers in Las Vegas, while celebrating those who are now ruling the historic strip — featuring the biggest names in entertainment, like Usher, Mariah Carey, Janet Jackson, Smokey Robinson, George Wallace, Eddie Griffin and more. ABC News’s Black History Month coverage will feature dedicated programming on the network’s mainstays, Good Morning America, which will include a three-part series highlighting HBCUs, segments honoring Black healthcare community heroes, artists pushing for social change, Black influencers and trendsetters, and more. World News Tonight with David Muir will feature inspirational stories in its “America Strong” and “Made in America” segments. As well, programs like Nightline, This Week with George Stephanopoulos, ABC News Live, and The View will all feature content highlighting the many facets of the Black experience.

Paramount+, Black Voices Matter

Paramount+ is celebrating with a slate of titles including comedies like Key and Peele, and The Neighborhood; movies like Candyman, Fences, and Devotion; documentaries The Loyola Project, St. Louis Superman, and Anita; dramas The Game and The Equalizer; family favorites Sister, Sister and Tyler Perry’s Young Dylan; and more.

Peacock, Black History Month

NBCUniversal’s Peacock streaming service will honor Black History Month with an array of original series, including the premiere of Bel-Air season 2. Movies like American Gangster, Antwone Fisher, Belly, Crooklyn, If Beale Street Could Talk, and Stomp The Yard will also be featured. New documentary Lowndes County and the Road to Black Power will drop at the beginning of the month, as well.

Showtime

In honor of Black History Month, two curated programming hubs will be available for viewing. The Black Girl Magic collection will feature films starring strong black women and include titles like Imagine That, How She Move and Girlhood. Additionally, the Gems collection will house classic films like Black Snake Moan, The Challenger and Coming From Insanity.

Comcast Xfinity, Evolution of Activism

The cabler from Comcast and NBCUniversal offers a stellar collection of titles honoring the Black community’s contributions to American culture with movies, TV shows, specials, documentaries, and more on Xfinity’s Evolution of Activism channel and on-demand. The platform will celebrate the evolution and progression of activism from the beginnings of history through today in a collection that’ll feature content celebrating the lives and work of activists from the past like Frederick Douglass, Angela Davis, and John Lewis, to our current activists like Tarana Burke and Kimberlee Crenshaw Williams. As well, titles like Hidden Figures, Judas and the Black Messiah, Harriet, Godfather of Harlem, and Bel-Air will be available to stream during the free previews being offered from HBO Max, aspireTV, REVOLT, CLEOTV, ALLBLK, Black & Sexy TV, Lifetime Movie Club, MGM+, and more.

Ovation TV, Celebrating Black History

For 2023’s Black History Month Ovation TV recognizes Black artists and artistry across all mediums through week-day morning linear programming and in curated on-demand content in Ovation NOW’s Arthouse and Celebrating Black History Month hubs. Week-days beginning at 6 am ET, Ovation will present a lineup featuring a select number of titles taken from Ovation network premieres, including episodes of The Directors (Antoine Fuqua, John Singleton), Off Camera (Chadwick Boseman, Common, Keegan-Michael Key, Octavia Spencer, Regina Hall, Uzo Aduba), and Stars of the Silver Screen (Angela Bassett, Forest Whitaker, Samuel L. Jackson); the documentary Morgan Freeman: Breaking Barriers; and the films Should’ve Put a Ring on It and When It Comes Around. The full linear schedule is located here. Also beginning on February 1, the Ovation NOW app will feature content categories for Black Voices, Music Icons, and Empowering Storytelling, among others, will feature titles (free to all throughout the month) celebrating Black artists who have made a significant impact on the national and international stage. The Ovation NOW app is free to download and is available on Roku, Android, Apple TV and iOS devices.

BroadwayHD

This Black History Month, BroadwayHD is honoring Black voices with incredible stories of music, laughter, and community. Throughout the month, productions of Pipeline, Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar & Grill, Porgy & Bess, and Memphis will be available for streaming.

Smithsonian Channel

For Black History Month, Smithsonian Channel will feature all-new two-hour premiere of Cassius X: Becoming Ali, exploring the iconic transformation of boxer Cassius Clay to Muhammad Ali. Each Monday during the month of February, a collection of the channel’s most beloved specials will air at 9 p.m. The special will air as part of the network’s month-long stunt that honors and celebrates African American history and culture. Catch some of the channel’s most beloved specials every Monday in February starting at 9pm ET/PT. Additional Black History Month programming will include Black in Space: Breaking the Color Barrier, Afrofuturism: The Origin Story, The Obama Years: The Power of Words, Picturing the Obamas: Portrait of Hope, and The Green Book: Guide to Freedom.

This February, as a part of #TVFORALL, Fox will debut the first original poem “Black Future” in honor of Black History Month. Written by poet Monique Mitchell, the poem is part of a year-long multicultural collaboration between Fox and nonprofit Get Lit that champions literacy, youth empowerment, and energizes communities through poetry and visual media. “Black Future” will be shared across local Fox stations and Fox digital all month long.

Streaming | Calendar

February Calendar

Wednesday, Feb. 1

- - The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder: Season 2 (2023) , Disney+

- - Sherman's Showcase: Season 2 (2022) , Hulu

- - grown-ish: Season 5 (2022) , Freeform

Thursday, Feb. 2

100% Lowndes County and the Road to Black Power (2022) , Peacock

Friday, Feb. 3

100% Harlem: Season 2 (2023) , Prime Video

- - Stand (2023) , Showtime

Saturday, Feb. 4

- - Young Rock: Season 3 (2022) , NBC

Monday, Feb. 6
Symone, New Episode (Peacock Exclusive)
Black in Space: Breaking The Color Barrier, 9 p.m., Smithsonian Channel
Afrofuturism: The Origin Story, 10 p.m., Smithsonian Channel
Independent Lens: Outta the Muck, 10 p.m., PBS

Tuesday, Feb. 7
Black Travel Across America: Series Premiere (Nat Geo), Hulu

- - Finding Your Roots: Season 9 (2023) (new episodes), 8 p.m., PBS

Fight the Power: How Hip Hop Changed the World (new episode), 9 p.m., PBS

Wednesday, Feb. 8

- - Marvel Studios: Assembled , Disney+

Bill Russell: Legend, Netflix [movie]
NOVA: Star Chasers of Senegal, 9 p.m., PBS

Thursday, Feb. 9

100% My Dad the Bounty Hunter: Season 1 (2023) , Netflix

Hip Hop and the Metaverse, PBS Voices

Friday, Feb. 10

69% Somebody I Used To Know (2023) , Prime Video

Three Ways: Andscape, Hulu [movie]

Monday, Feb. 13
Symone, New Episode (Peacock Exclusive)
The Obama Years: The Power of Words, 9 p.m., Smithsonian Channel
Picturing The Obamas: Portrait of Hope, 10 p.m., Smithsonian Channel

Tuesday, Feb. 14
Ritual (series premiere), PBS Voices

- - Finding Your Roots: Season 9 (2023) (new episodes), 8 p.m., PBS

Fight the Power: How Hip Hop Changed the World (new episode) 9 p.m., PBS

Wednesday, Feb. 15

100% Marvel's Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur: Season 1 (2023) Disney+

The Making of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Disney+

88% African Queens: Njinga: Season 1 (2023) , Netflix

- - Wu-Tang: An American Saga: Season 3 (2023) , Hulu