2020 is shaping up to be the most transformative year of our lives. Not only are we navigating through unprecedented times of pandemic, protests, and uncertainties, as the U.S. starts to slowly re-open, how we emerge from our stay-at-home orders depends solely on how we are at home. Are we having difficult conversations with our loved. Ones? Are we conscious consumers of media?

As the Black Lives Matter movement continues, streaming giants like Netflix and Hulu are celebrating works highlighting Black lives. With hundreds of selections to choose from, below are five of my favorite movies to watch to “stay woke”.

5. American Son (2019)

Kerry Washington delivers a passionate speech to a police officer while trying to find her missing son.  Watch

4. Imperial Dreams (2014)

John Boyega stars as a father who returns home from jail hoping to rebuild his life and family, but his efforts are challenged by a system that works against him. Watch

3. See You Yesterday (2019)

Spike Lee comes See You Yesterday, a sci-fi adventure grounded in familial love, cultural divides and the universal urge to change the wrongs of the past. Watch

2. All Day and a Night (2020)

This drama by Black Panther co-writer Joe Robert Cole spotlights how the carceral system is against people of colors, from one generation to the next. Watch

1. 13th (2016)

Ava DuVernay’s gut-wrenching Oscar-nominated documentary exposes and analyzes the flaws in the U.S. prison system that disproportionately afflict the Black community. This is a must-watch for anyone in dire need of more understanding of the bias against Black America in our criminal justice system. Watch