During this Black history month I’ve seen many recommendations of documentaries and movies that feature Black actors and history. It’s wonderful that others are learning about Black history, but there’s more to Black people than stories of slavery, civil rights and racism. Here are three of my favorite Black-led movies that aren’t centered around Black trauma.

“Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella” (1997): One of many versions of Cinderella but definitely my favorite one. This version of Cinderella stars famous singer and actress Brandy Norwood (known as Brandy) playing Cinderella. This adaptation of Cinderella is not an exact replica of the version most have seen but is still amazing. It’s also a rare and great example of colorblind casting done right. Cinderella, the fairy godmother (Whitney Houston), one of the stepsisters (Natalie Desselle) and the prince’s mother (Whoopi Goldberg) are all played by Black actresses. The prince (Paolo Montalbán) is Filipino-American, and the Stepmother (Bernadette Peters), the other stepsister and the prince’s father are all played by White actors. For me and many other Black girls this movie was the first time we saw a princess on screen that looked like us.

“The Pursuit of Happyness” (2006): This movie is great for anyone in need of inspiration (or a good cry). This is a biographical drama of the real life of Chris Gardner, based off of his bestselling memoir. The movie follows Chris Gardner’s struggle as a homeless salesman and single father in pursuit of a job as a stockbroker. Gardner is played wonderfully by Will Smith, with his (at the time) 8-year-old son, Jaden Smith, playing Chris Gardner’s son. This movie will leave you with a feeling of appreciation for life and inspire you to chase after your goals.

“Dreamgirls” (2006): As a musical lover I’ve seen this star-studded movie too many times. It features a number of celebrities including Jennifer Hudson, Beyoncé, Jamie Foxx, Eddie Murphy and more. “Dreamgirls” is a movie adaptation of a Broadway musical based off of a book. The movie is set in the 1960s and follows the road to stardom of an all-Black girl group from Chicago. The soundtrack alone is enough to make this movie iconic, but the drama from the interpersonal relationships between the characters is the cherry on top.

Honorable mentions: “The Last Dragon,” “The Wiz,” “Coming to America,” “Good Burger.”

Destiny Blanchard is a junior management major. She can be reached at 581-2812 or dblanchard@eiu.edu.