While I’ve been convalescing these past two weeks, I’ve plodded my way through a box of old videos that recently came into my possession. As I’ve picked out some of my favorites to watch, a common thread stood out to me. Wonderful films like Amistad, Glory, To Kill a Mockingbird, Driving Miss Daisy, The Great Debaters, and Amazing Grace all tell different facets of the same story, tales which begged to be told. It’s the story of the most disgraceful blight on our nation’s history, the enslavement of one race by another, with its consequent far-reaching repurcussions.

Without intending to, I realized that I have been immersing myself in these great films during Black History Month. Started in 1926 as Negro History Week, the goal is to educate the American people about the cultural background and reputable achievements of African-Americans.

Now that the month is nearing its end, I thought I’d suggest these films, in case you’d like to watch and discuss them with your children. This past year, I’ve also read three excellent books along the same line: The Help, Uncle Tom’s Cabin, and To Kill a Mockingbird. And next week, a film called The Grace Card, dealing with the topics of racism, forgiveness and redemption, is due to be released in theaters.