“Lack of diversity” is a criticism that often gets lobbed at the powers-that-be in Hollywood. But the last 12 months seem to have brought about a sea change in the film industry, with a host of critically acclaimed films made by and about black Americans finding great success at the box office.
Biopics in particular seem to be a rich source of original material, as showcased in Steve McQueen’s 12 Years a Slave, Lee Daniels’ The Butler, Justin Chadwick’s Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom, Brian Helgeland’s 42 and Ryan Coogler’s Fruitvale Station. Which helps explain the recent run on biopics of black leaders; Martin Luther King Jr., Paul Robeson, Nat Turner, Nina Simone, Marcus Garvey, Harriet Tubman, and Adam Clayton Powell Jr. are just a few of the impressive individuals whose life stories are scheduled to be coming soon to a theater near you. With that, here are another 10 Inspirational Black Leaders Who Deserve Films About Their Lives. (Are you listening, Hollywood?)