Netflix launched a new ‘Black Lives Matter’ collection

Streaming giant Netflix has launched a “Black Lives Matter” collection for its subscribers. The new collection consists of more than 50 movies and television shows that center on racial discrimination and the lives of Black Americans.

While most of the content itself is not necessarily new, Netflix has put them together in a new category to highlight the projects. Users may now see a pop-up screen upon logging in that directs them to the Black Lives Matter collection, and it also appears as a notification.

“Black lives matter,” reads the description on the Netflix site. “Learn more about racial injustice and the Black experience in America with this collection of films, series and documentaries.”

Some movies featured as part of the collection include the 2017 Academy Award Best Picture winner “Moonlight,” 2017’s “Mudbound,” and Spike Lee’s “Da 5 Bloods.” This last film will be released on Netflix this Friday, June 12.

Series include the Netflix original “When They See Us,” Ava DuVernay’s depiction of “the Central Park five,” a group of Black teenagers that were falsely accused of murdering a jogger in the famous New York City park in 1989; “Dear White People,” a comedy/drama about Black students at an Ivy League college; and Marvel’s “Luke Cage,” about a Black ex-con who becomes a superhero.

In a May 30 tweet, Netflix stated its commitment to Black Lives Matter movement:

“To be silent is to be complicit,” it reads. “Black lives matter. We have a platform, and we have a duty to our Black members, employees, creators and talent to speak up.”

In another tweet on June 10, they further expanded on their statement:

“When we say ‘Black Lives Matter,’ we also mean ‘Black storytelling matters,'” reads the tweet. “With an understanding that our commitment to true, systemic change will take time — we’re starting by highlighting powerful and complex narratives about the Black experience.”

The Netflix collection is available worldwide. If you don’t see it when you log on, it can be accessed through the main menu, the “Genre” drop-down menu under “TV Shows” or “Movies,” or by doing a search for “Black Lives Matter.” Other Netflix collections focused on Black creators and subjects include “Black Behind the Camera”, “Black Comedy Icons,” “Black Music Legends” and “Black & Queer.”

Additional major players in the entertainment industry that have rallied around the Black Lives Matter movement in recent weeks include “Sesame Street”, Hulu and Korean boy band BTS. Hopefully, such support will lead to real change down the line.