Hollywood, CA - Before or after the Oscars, which have no black nominees, you may consider renting one or all of the following movies that we consider to be the TOP 20 all-time African American Experience movies. Some are Oscar quality and some are some are not but each give you a slice of the African American experience through the decades.

What are your picks?

Glory – One of our favorite all-time movies, Glory is the portrayal of the struggles of the first, commissioned, U.S. Army unit – the Massachusetts 54th. Denzel Washington would earn his first Oscar as a defiant slave who has to fight through anger and distrust to fulfill his determination to fight in the Civil War. Also starring Morgan Freeman and Andre Braugher. NOTE: You will not likely see Matthew Broderick this good.

In the Heat of the Night – A classic movie with Sydney Poitier. A black northern cop travels down to Jim Crow south to solve a murder. His independent spirit is challenged by the ghosts of oppression and live demons of hate. Yes, its oldschool, but no special effects needed as Mr. Tibbs shows the town folk a thing or two.

Tuskegee Airmen – A movie that may have saved some of us from quitting my jobs. This movie portrays the real life accounts of the men chosen to be the first blacks to fly in Combat during World War Two. It can be slow in spots, but hang in there, you’ll feel good at the end. Starring Lawrence Fishbourne, Courtney B. Vance, & Cuba Gooding Jr.

Mississippi Burning – This crime drama has no headline black actors and is loosely based on the FBI investigation into the real-life murders of three civil rights workers in the U.S. state of Mississippi in 1964. It does give you a front row seat to the hate and discrimination faced by people of color in the South during that time.

Imitation of Life – This may be dated for some, but it is a timeless story. The movie tells the story of a black woman who is light enough to “pass” and is so ashamed of her loving mother she rejects her identity. There are two versions of this movie. We recommend the 1959 remake with Juanita Moore as the mother of a daughter that loses her way.

Roots – This should be on your DVD shelf already. Roots is the TV adaptation of Alex Hailey’s best-seller and tells the story of his family’s history from Africa-to slavery- and to post Civil War freedom. It was a landmark classic since most TV executives thought no one would watch an African American story on TV. It broke records for a mini-series and is still among the most watched in history. It launched or boosted more than 2 dozen careers.

A Raisin in the Sun - Sidney Poitier and Ruby Dee shine in this film version of Lorraine Hansberry's play about an inner-city black family. Poitier plays Walter Lee Younger, a chauffeur with a wife (Dee) and family to support. When a financial windfall puts Younger's dream of starting his own business within reach, the family is plunged into conflict with one another and with the intolerant world around them.

The Color Purple - a Southern woman whose correspondence with her sister in Africa helps her escape an abusive husband (portrayed with a scary edge by Danny Glover) and a life of bitter circumstance. Steven Spielberg directs this Oscar-nominated drama, a sterling adaptation of Alice Walker's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, that boasts an evocative soundtrack by Quincy Jones and a moving performance by Oprah Winfrey. The movie also highlighted modern day racism as the movie was nominated for 9 Academy Awards and won nothing.

The Human Stain – Sir Anthony Hopkins plays a University professor forced to confront his past as his life begins to fall apart. Born a light skinned black man, he choose to pass for white his entire life.

X – Spike Lee’s “movie-mentary” about the life of the slain civil rights leader, Malcolm X. This is not high on the list because of its length and “Lee-isms” scattered through the film. But Denzel Washington’s performance is powferful. Also starring Angela Bassett, (who has played just about every famous black wife or mom in history).

Amistad - Steven Spielberg directed this story about the 1839 revolt aboard Spanish slave ship La Amistad and the uprising's tragic aftermath. An African-born slave (Djimon Hounsou) leads a mutiny against his brutal captors, but because the ship is in American waters, a U.S. court must decide the slaves' fates. In an eloquent courtroom speech, ex-president John Quincy Adams (Anthony Hopkins) argues for the Africans' freedom

Finding Forester – Rob Brown stars with Sean Connery as an intellectually brilliant basketball player trying to find his way in an all white prep school. He finds an unusual friendship with a reclusive author. This is not the white man saves the poor black child story we have seen way too often. This is a story of mutual respect between two unlikely friends set against a school system that tries to enforce its own stereotypes.

The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman - Based on the novel by Ernest J. Gaines, this highly acclaimed TV drama follows the life of Jane Pittman, a black woman born into slavery in the South during the 1850s who lives long enough to see the genesis of the Civil Rights movement in the 1960s. In 1962, 110-year-old Jane (Cicely Tyson) tells her story to a journalist (Michael Murphy). The film won eight Emmy Awards, including Best Lead Actress for Tyson and Best Director for John Korty.

Rosewood – Based on the accounts of survivors of the actual events. John Singleton tells the story of a Central Florida town that was ransacked and wiped off the map based on the false allegation of a woman who claimed she was raped to cover up an affair. Some of the scenes are hard to watch or contemplate but they happened.

Men of Honor – Oscar winner Cuba Gooding junior stars with Robert Deniro. Gooding is Carl Brashear, who sets his sights on becoming the Navy's first African-American master diver in this uplifting true story. Their relationship starts out on the rocks, but fate ultimately conspires to bring the men together into a setting of mutual respect, triumph and honor.

The Great Debaters – When African American poet Mel Tolson (Denzel Washington, who also directs) creates a debate team at historically black Wiley College in the 1930s, he pushes the team to a level of excellence that allows them to take on Harvard University. Their success is set against the hate of the Jim Crow south.

4 Little Girls – Director Spike Lee uses this feature-length documentary to tell the story of the 1963 bombing of an Alabama African-American church -- an event that took the lives of four young girls and became a pivotal moment in the civil rights struggle. Lee's film examines the crime and its perpetrators as well as the four young victims.

The Express - Rob Brown stars as trailblazer Ernie Davis, the first African-American to win the Heisman Trophy. Dubbed the "Elmira Express" because of his tireless drive, Davis also lived up to the title off the field fighting for racial equality.

Honorable Mentions:

What the Lord Made

Introducing Dorothy Dandridge

Ray

Hoop Dreams

Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner?

Glory Road