Source: Fresh Prince Pics / Fresh Prince
In honor of Juneteenth today (June 19), we have collected the best Black television shows and films to watch this weekend. For years, many Black families across the states have celebrated their freedom with family gatherings in the form of cookouts, game nights and a night filled with the electric slide. This year the occasion is even more special as it will be recognized nationally by families of all races and ethnic backgrounds. Though a day off for all people may not sit well with every Black household, it is a well-deserved day of leisure for Black folks all over nonetheless.
Enjoy a current list of our favorite TV programming and films encouraging Black joy. Whether you’re looking for something timeless, comical or dramatic to watch this Juneteenth, we have something for the entire family to enjoy. Each program listed is detailed with a short description and its network to guide you on where to watch with your loved ones.
Check out a list of our favorite TV series and films encouraging Black joy this Juneteenth:
Run The World (STARZ)
This comedic show is about a group of women work, live and play in Harlem as they strive for world domination.
Sylvie’s Love (Amazon Prime)
The original Amazon Prime film follows Sylvie, who has a summer romance with a saxophonist who takes a summer job at her father’s record store in Harlem. When they reconnect years later, they discover that their feelings for each other have not faded with the years.
PAUSE with Sam Jay (HBO/Hulu)
PAUSE with Sam Jay is a new, half-hour, late night talk series created by Emmy-nominated writer and stand-up comedian Sam Jay (Saturday Night Live, Sam Jay: 3 In The Morning) and Prentice Penny (HBO’s Insecure) that takes a new approach to late-night conversations and plunges into the cultural issues that divide us from a fresh lens.
The Upshaws (Netflix)
This new Netflix comedy starring Mike Epps, Wanda Sykes and Kim Fields is set in Indiana following one working-class African American family’s struggles to make it work and make it right without the blueprints to do it.
Fatherhood (Netflix)
Fatherhood starring Kevin Hart follows a father brings up his baby girl as a single dad after the unexpected death of his wife who died a day after their daughter’s birth.
Abbott Elementary (Hulu)
A group of dedicated, passionate teachers — and a slightly tone-deaf principal — find themselves thrown together in a Philadelphia public school where, despite the odds stacked against them, they are determined to help their students succeed in life. Though these incredible public servants may be outnumbered and underfunded, they love what they do — even if they don’t love the school district’s less-than-stellar attitude toward educating children.
All The Way Black (BET Plus)
All The Way Black is a series that shows all of the hilarious, authentic, and relatable ways Black people see and experience life. Chris Spencer takes a nostalgic look back at things we loved about the 70s, 80s and 90s, from the best Black family sitcoms to the most memorable events. Being Black can be a challenge, but we wouldn’t trade it for anything.
Always a Bridesmaid (BET Plus)
A Black romantic comedy, where after being in many weddings without walking down the aisle herself, Corina just might find the love she needs when Mark comes into her life.
The Jamie Foxx Show (BET Plus)
Jamie Foxx is a Black legend, incredible singer, and multi hyphenate. After moving from Texas to Los Angeles to pursue a career in entertainment, Jamie King supports himself by working at his aunt and uncle’s hotel alongside his entertaining coworkers.
Martin (BET Plus)
A Black sitcom classic that gave us all the feels and fun. Martin is a smooth-talking, wise-cracking Detroit radio DJ whose attitude is great for the airwaves, but causes chaos in his personal life.
Miss Juneteenth (BET Plus)
A joyful exploration of Black mothers and daughters, finding your voice, and embracing your beauty.
Bigger (BET Plus)
The modern-day Living Single 2.0. These 30-something Black professionals are on a journey of exploration and having fun while they’re at it.
Bruh (BET Plus)
A film about Black male friendships, the sincerity and mess make these friendships feel authentic. Get to know hard-luck entrepreneur John and his more successful friends from college Tom, Bill and Mike as they navigate careers, relationships and life in Atlanta.
What Men Want (Hulu)
Passed up for a well-deserved promotion, sports agent Ali Davis, played by Taraji P. Henson, wonders what else she needs to do to succeed in a man’s world. Hoping to find answers from a psychic, Ali drinks a weird concoction that suddenly allows her to hear what men are thinking. Using her newfound ability, Ali starts to turn the tables on her obnoxious male colleagues while racing to sign the next basketball superstar.
Soul Food (Hulu)
When Ahmad Simmons’ diabetic grandmother, Josephine “Big Mama” Joseph, falls into a coma during an operation to amputate her leg, it throws the Joseph family into chaos. Ahmad watches as his mother, Maxine, and aunts Teri and Tracy struggle to adjust to the family matriarch’s sudden absence, fall into old rivalries, share memories, and work to maintain the long-standing tradition of Sunday family dinners. This star-studded classic 1997 film is surely one to watch this weekend.
Grown-ish (Freeform/Hulu)
The Johnson family’s eldest daughter is taking her first steps into the real world as she heads off to college. “Grown-ish” explores the first trappings of adulthood, and Zoey must navigate through the trials and tribulations of these momentous steps. Zoey discovers that once she leaves the nest, things do not always go her way.
Sister, Sister (Netflix)
Tia and Tamera are twins who were separated at birth, with each being adopted by a different parent. One day, the teens have a chance encounter while shopping at a clothing store in the mall. After the families meet, Tamera’s adoptive father reluctantly allows Tia and her mother to move into his home so the girls can be together. But just because they’re twins doesn’t mean Tia and Tamera are identical in any way other than looks — Tia is intelligent and from inner-city Detroit while Tamera is the boy-crazy twin from the suburbs.
Moesha (Netflix/Hulu)
The Parkers (Netflix)
Girlfriends (Netflix)
An ensemble sitcom focusing on a mixed batch of black women who face life’s tests and triumphs together. From dating to divorce and friends to family to relationships, Joan, Maya, Lynn and Toni support each other despite their differing backgrounds, learning about true friendship in the process.
The Best Man: The Final Chapters (Peacock)
High on the Hog: How African American Cuisine Transformed America (Netflix)
Food writer Stephen Satterfield traces the origins of African-American cuisine, tracing its through lines from Africa to Texas.
Family Reunion (Netflix)
A family struggles to make the transition from life in Seattle to Georgia, where the extended family lives.
Love Jones (Netflix)
Two urban African-Americans, Darius, an aspiring writer, and Nina, an aspiring photographer, share an instant connection after a chance meeting at a Chicago club. The two bond over music, photography and poetry, and eventually begin a torrid romance. However, when Nina decides to move to New York and mend her relationship with her ex-fiancé, Marvin, it leaves Darius heartbroken, and the couple’s future in jeopardy.
Marlon (Netflix)
Inspired by his real life, comic Marlon Wayans finds comedy in the stories about friends and fatherhood. He balances his successful career as an internet superstar with his life co-parenting two kids alongside his smart and sassy ex-wife, Ashley. Whether it’s hanging with his friends, navigating the adventures of adulthood with his ex or being with his kids as they face the highs and lows of growing up, things never go quite as expected with Marlon around. His unconventional advice and over-the-top personality may not always make things easy, but it’s hard not to love him just the way he is.
The Rev (USA)
When he isn’t preaching and inspiring his congregation at his Long Island, NY church, Pastor Richard Hartley is dealing with his rambunctious and loving family.
In Our Mothers’ Gardens (Netflix)
Black women from across the globe unlock stories of their mothers to redefine holistic lives rooted in radical self-care and healing in this documentary.
Buried by the Bernards (Netflix)
In Memphis, Tenn., a funeral home offers packages that feature virtual funeral services, as well as drive-thru viewings.
Insecure (HBO)
Modern-day black women might be described as strong and confident; in other words, just the opposite of Issa and Molly. As the best friends deal with their own real-life flaws, their insecurities come to the fore as together they cope with an endless series of uncomfortable everyday experiences.
POSE (FX/Netflix)
Set in the 1980s, `Pose’ is a dance musical that explores the juxtaposition of several segments of life and society in New York: the ball culture world, the rise of the luxury Trump-era universe, and the downtown social and literary scene.
Family Matters (Hulu)
Policeman Carl Winslow has enough to deal with on the job. But when he gets home, he still has to handle kids, his wife, Harriette, his mom, a sister-in-law and Urkel, the nerd next door who doesn’t understand that he doesn’t actually live with the Winslows.
RuPaul’s Drag Race (Hulu)
The world’s most famous drag queen hosts a series that tries to find the most glamorous drag queen. RuPaul also features as a mentor for the aspiring drag queens.
Everybody Hates Chris (Hulu)
This sitcom chronicles the misadventures of teenager Chris as he grows up in 1980s Brooklyn. Chris is surrounded by eccentric family members, including frugal father Julius, intimidating mother Rochelle, spoiled sister Tonya and younger brother Drew, who is more popular than Chris. The show is based on the life of comedian Chris Rock, who serves as the narrator for the show and is also an executive producer.
Hamilton (Disney Plus)
The original Broadway production of the award-winning musical that tells the story of Alexander Hamilton, first secretary of the treasury, blending hip-hop, jazz, R&B and Broadway styles, filmed from the Richard Rogers Theater in New York.
Black Is King (Disney Plus)
Black Is King is a 2020 American musical film and visual album directed, written, and executive produced by American singer Beyoncé. The film serves as a visual companion to the 2019 album The Lion King: The Gift, curated by Beyoncé for The Lion King.
Savage X Fenty Show (Amazon Prime)
A runway show celebrating Rihanna’s new Fall/Winter 2019 fashion collection; models, actors and dancers wear the latest styles; performances from some of the hottest acts in music; behind the scenes of the making of the show.
Homecoming (Netflix)
Homecoming is a 2019 concert film about American singer Beyoncé and her performance at the 2018 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, written, executive produced and directed by Beyoncé herself. It was released on April 17, 2019 by Netflix.
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (HBO Max)
Will Smith more or less plays himself in this good-natured NBC sitcom. As the show’s popular theme song explains, fictional Will’s mom sends him away from his rough Philadelphia neighborhood to live with wealthy Uncle Phil and Aunt Vivian in Bel-Air. Will often has fun at the expense of stuck-up cousins Carlton and Hilary.
The Wonder Years (Hulu)
The coming-of-age story of a 12-year-old Black boy in Montgomery, Alabama, in the late 1960s, as told by his adult self. Season 2 debuts today (June 14).
The Blackening (STARZ)
Seven friends go away for the weekend, only to find themselves trapped in a cabin with a killer who has a vendetta. They must pit their street smarts and knowledge of horror movies against the murderer to stay alive. The film comes out on June 16 in theaters.
Gabrielle Union: Journey to 50 (BET+)
Actress Gabrielle Union celebrates her birthday with a trip across Africa that she makes with her husband, Dwyane Wade, and their children and friends. The series debuts on BET+ on June 15.
