As people across the country protest in the streets and raise millions of dollars in bail money, (open in new tab) there is something we can do as allies: read and watch art that tells the black story. It's no secret that we were never taught the real (opens in new tab) story of how we got here in American history class, but thankfully, there are plenty of documentaries (opens in new tab) to educate ourselves. Many of them can be found on streaming services like YouTube and Netflix.

If you are looking for resources to learn more about race relations in America, we have a reading list here. (opens in new tab) We also have a list of over 50 black-owned businesses that you can support today and every day (opens in new tab).

In 1936, 18 black athletes participated in the Berlin Olympics. But only one made history: Jesse Owens. "Olympic Pride, American Prejudice" is the story of the other 17 contestants. They set out to make their nation proud, despite the fact that their country was not accepting of them at the time (it was the Jim Crow era). To learn more about the games and the athletes, please read the book (opens in new tab) on which it is based.

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When four police officers were found not guilty in court after being filmed violently beating Rodney King, it sparked days of protests in Los Angeles. This new documentary contains new and rarely seen archival footage of the incident. Sadly, the history of police brutality against black citizens continues to repeat itself.

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Attention fashion history buffs: this is for you: a look back at the once-in-a-lifetime fashion show in 1973 when five American designers faced off against five French designers. The event marked the rise of black models like Pat Cleveland and forever changed the way people viewed the fashion industry.

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Netflix's "13 Days" became so influential that the streaming giant released the entire documentary on YouTube (opens in new tab), and every viewer was able to see the lasting 13th Amendment The film is now available to learn about the lasting impact of the 13th Amendment and how it has led to the problem of mass incarceration in the United States. Director Ava DuVernay (open in new tab) has combined archival footage and interviews with influential politicians to create a film that will stand the test of time and become a lasting learning tool.

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School history textbooks have written that slavery ended with the Emancipation Proclamation, but PBS' "Slavery By Another Name" proves them wrong. This 90-minute documentary takes viewers back in time to explain how slavery ended in the South in 1865, while thousands of people of color were dragged into forced labor. The film features conversations with families still living, reminding us that the passage of time means little when it comes to these scars.

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Winner of the Emmy Award for Outstanding Historical Documentary, "King of the Wilderness" chronicles the last 18 months of Dr. King's life. The documentary covers his role in the Voting Rights Act of 1965, his relationships with key political figures of the time, and his assassination in 1968. Interviews with friends from that time reveal that Dr. King was more of a trailblazer than you know.

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When filmmaker Goran Hugo Olson discovered a 30-year-old film canister set containing footage from the anti-war and Black Power movements of the 60s and 70s, he realized there was a story to tell. He realized that there was a story to be told. The documentary film features celebrities from Angela Davis to Eldridge Cleaver, an early leader of the Black Panther Party. The film reminds us how far we have come and how far we still have to go.

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"American Sun" is not a documentary per se, but it is inspired by events that the black community faces on a daily basis. Lead actress Kerry Washington tells The (opens in new tab) Wrap (opens in new tab): "African-American people are able to see themselves and their experiences are projected, highlighted, affirmed, acknowledged, and in a sense celebrated. It is." [She and her estranged husband Scott (Stephen Pasquale) are at the police station waiting for answers about their missing son. Like the documentary, the film "allows others to really step into the challenge of raising a black child with real empathy and personal investment," Washington told The Wrap.

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PBS's "Black Panther: Vanguard of a Revolution" is the first feature-length documentary to delve deeply into the Black Panther Party and how they changed history. seven years in the making, the documentary features surviving The documentary, which took seven years to make, includes interviews with more than 25 surviving Panthers members, FBI informants, journalists, and others.

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This 10-episode limited series tells the story of one school year at Oak Park & River Forest High School in Chicago. Featuring interviews with students, administrators, and faculty, this documentary lays bare the overwhelming problems faced by people of color in the American school system. The first episode is free to view anywhere.

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"Dark Girls" takes a hard look at the prejudices and attitudes that dark-skinned women face around the world. Through skin whitening, countless women actively seek to lighten their skin in hopes that it will lead to a better life. Filmmakers Bill Duke and D. Chan Shin Berry examine how white women are going to tanning beds, getting Botox and plastic surgery to look "more ethical." It will make you furiously angry and make you think about the male gaze in a new light.

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Another example of exceptionally good storytelling by director Eva DuVernay (opens in new tab). This time it's the story of the "Exonerated Five," formerly known as the "Central Park Five," and in a four-part limited series, this Netflix show recounts the Central Park jogger incident from the perspective of the five and their families. For those unfamiliar with the case, in 1989, five African-American male suspects were falsely accused and prosecuted in connection with the rape and manslaughter of a woman in Central Park. Beautifully acted, it is an important reminder of how the justice system has repeatedly failed people of color for decades.

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Based on James Baldwin's unfinished manuscript, Remember This House, filmmaker Raoul Peck depicts the end of the book that should have been. Baldwin's final novel was supposed to dive into the lives and assassinations of three of Baldwin's closest friends: Medgar Evers, Malcolm X, and Martin Luther King Jr. Using Baldwin's words, "I Am Not Your Negro" connects the civil rights and #BlackLivesMatter movements (opens in new tab) and traces how black representation has evolved over time.

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