Martin Luther King Jr. Day offers an opportunity to honor and reflect on the life, work, and enduring legacy of Dr. King, whose leadership and vision helped advance civil rights and social justice in the United States. Observed each January, the holiday encourages reflection on his commitment to nonviolence, equality, and community service, while inviting individuals to consider how his work continues to shape conversations about justice and opportunity today. The UST Libraries support this reflection by providing access to a wide range of streaming films that explore the Civil Rights Movement, Dr. King’s leadership, and the ongoing pursuit of racial justice.

• BlacKkKlansman (2018) – A black detective sets out to infiltrate the Colorado chapter of the Ku Klux Klan with the help of his Jewish colleague. In the midst of the 1970s civil rights movement, they risk their lives to obtain insider information on the violent organization.
• Green Book (2018) – Bouncer Tony Lip is hired by African-American musician Don Shirley to chauffer him around the Jim Crow South in 1962 for an eight-week concert tour. The mismatched men form a friendship as Tony learns first-hand the racism Don must endure to perform.
• John Lewis: Good Trouble (2020) – An intimate account of legendary U.S. Representative John Lewis’ life, legacy and more than 60 years of extraordinary activism.
• King: A Filmed Record…Montgomery to Memphis (1970) – A documentary that follows Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. from 1955 to 1968, in his rise from regional activist to world-renowned leader of the Civil Rights movement.
• King in the Wilderness (2018) – A portrait of Martin Luther King Jr. during the last years of his life, from his part in the Voting Rights Act of 1965 to his assassination in 1968.
• Making Black America (2022) – This four-hour series, hosted by Henry Louis Gates, Jr., chronicles the vast social networks and organizations created by and for Black people-beyond the reach of the “White gaze.” Gates takes viewers into an extraordinary world that showcases Black people’s ability to collectively prosper, defy white supremacy and define Blackness in ways that transformed America itself.
• Martin Luther King, Jr. Day: The Making of a Holiday (1978) – This is the story of how Martin Luther King, Jr.’s, birthday became a national holiday thanks to the unrelenting drive of his widow, Coretta Scott King, and politicians like Representative John Conyers, Jr.
• Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I have a Dream” Speech – On August 28, 1963, from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, Martin Luther King Jr. delivers his “I Have a Dream” speech to 200,000 listeners.
• MLK/FBI (2020) – A documentary that examines the FBI’s extensive surveillance and harassment of Martin Luther King Jr., revealing how government agencies sought to undermine the civil rights movement through wiretapping, intimidation, and disinformation.
• Mississippi Burning (1988) – A dramatization of the FBI investigation into the 1964 murders of three civil rights workers in Mississippi, exposing the violent racism and corruption that protected white supremacist groups.
• Selma (2014) – The marches from Selma, Ala., to Montgomery to secure voting rights for black Americans are depicted in this docudrama set during the U.S. Civil Rights Movement, and which focuses on the actions of Martin Luther King Jr.
• Till (2022) – The story of Emmett Louis Till and the legacy of his mother who pursued justice for her lynched son.

You can find more films by searching our list of streaming video databases (https://libguides.stthomas.edu/music-media/databases).

National Native American Heritage Month, celebrated each November, honors the rich histories, diverse cultures, and important contributions of Native American, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian peoples. It’s a time to recognize the resilience and enduring traditions of Indigenous communities, as well as to reflect on their vital role in shaping the history and future of the United States. The month also encourages learning about tribal sovereignty, contemporary issues, and the many ways Indigenous peoples continue to strengthen and enrich the nation.

Looking to learn more about Indigenous histories and achievements? The UST Libraries have you covered with a great collection of streaming films—here are a few to get you started.

• Attla (2019) – The story of George Atttla, an Alaska Native dogsled racer who, with one good leg and fierce determination, rose to international fame and became a legendary sports hero.
• Being Thunder (2021) – Sherenté, a Two Spirit Genderqueer teenager from the Narragansett tribe, courageously continues to dance in female fancy shawl competitions despite discrimination from some tribal leaders, receiving support from family, fellow dancers, and the broader powwow community.
  
• Gather (2020) – A documentary that explores the growing movement among indigenous people to reconnect to their spiritual and cultural identities through food sovereignty and traditional foodways.
• Lakota Nation vs. United States (2022) – A provocative, visually stunning testament to a land and people who have survived removal, exploitation and genocide – and whose best days are yet to come.
• Native America (2018-2023) – A PBS documentary series that explores the rich histories, living traditions, and enduring innovations of Indigenous peoples across the Americas, connecting ancient wisdom to contemporary Native life.
• Rez Metal (2021) – A documentary about a Navajo metal band and the vibrant heavy metal scene throughout the Navajo nation.
• Singing Back the Buffalo (2025) – Indigenous visionaries, scientists and communities are rematriating the buffalo to the heart of the North American plains they once defined.
• Sisters Rising (2020) – The story of six Native American women fighting to restore personal and tribal sovereignty in the face of ongoing sexual violence against Indigenous women in the United States.
• Stolen Spirits (2022) – The documentary follows a Nebraska community’s search for the graves of Indigenous children who died at the historic Genoa U.S. Indian Industrial School, exposing how the American Indian boarding-school system attempted to erase Native identity.
• We Are Unarmed (2020) – A fresh look at the Indigenous-led resistance to the Dakota Access Pipeline.

You can find more films by searching our list of streaming video databases (https://libguides.stthomas.edu/music-media/databases).