In honor of Black History Month, we take a look at some stellar films and performing artists that tell the true stories of real-life Black Americans. Some of the subjects of these biopics are household names, while others are less known but have important stories to share. In part one of our three part series, we focus on renowned athletes and civil rights activists.

Let's start with some sports biopics. "Remember the Titans" (2000) tells the true story of high school football coach Herman Boone (Denzel Washington), who in 1971 coached his team to the Virginia state championship. That year, the city of Alexandria consolidated students from three high schools into one, and Boone was named head coach of the racially integrated team. The film follows his attempts to bring players of different backgrounds and ethnicities together in pursuit of one common goal.

Additional sports biopics worth watching: "The Jackie Robinson Story" (1950), starring the actual Jackie Robinson as himself, is one of the earliest biopics to focus on a Black subject; "The Greatest" (1977) stars the legendary boxer Muhammad Ali as himself; "The Hurricane" (1999) stars Denzel Washington as boxer Rubin "Hurricane" Carter, who was wrongly imprisoned 20 years for murder; and "The Blind Side" (2009), which tells the story of former NFL player Michael Oher, portrayed by Quinton Aaron.

If you are looking to learn about important figures in the civil rights movement, watch the heart-breaking drama "Till" (2022). The film tells the true story of Mamie Till Mobley (Danielle Deadwyler), who became an activist and educator following the murder of her 14-year-old son Emmett (Jalyn Hall) in 1955. The two men who later admitted to killing him were tried in court but acquitted by an all-white jury. Mamie continued to seek justice throughout her life, traveling the country giving speeches to massive crowds of supporters.

Other excellent films about civil rights leaders and activists: "Malcolm X" (1992), directed by Spike Lee and starring Denzel Washington, tells the life story of the Black Nationalist leader, from his childhood in rural Michigan to his ministry in the Nation of Islam and his assassination; "Selma" (2014), directed by Ava DuVernay, stars David Oyelowo as Martin Luther King Jr. and focuses on his organization of the 1965 Selma-to-Montgomery marches for voting rights (alongside Hosea Williams, John Lewis, and James Bevel); "Loving" (2016) stars Ruth Negga as Mildred Loving who, along with her husband Richard, challenged Virginia laws prohibiting interracial marriage and took their battle to the Supreme Court; and "Marshall" (2017), starring Chadwick Boseman as Thurgood Marshall during his early career as a lawyer with the NAACP.

Come back next week for the next part of this series, in which we will highlight biopics about iconic Black entertainers and other inspiring historical figures.