10 Movies That Broke Down Racial Barriers

          At its best, film-making holds a mirror up to its audience, thus providing an unblinking reflection. Much of what resonates with us in cinema tells us something about ourselves. In regard to the history of race relations, Hollywood provides a serviceable reflection of our society, insofar as progress in both seems to take hold slowly. The following are 10 movies that broke down racial barriers:

1. The Homesteader (1919) – Written and directed by Oscar Micheaux, who was the first major African-American filmmaker. Using an all-black cast to retell his story, Micheaux pioneered movie-making specifically aimed at black audiences.
2. Broken Blossoms (1919) – This film earns some credit, despite itself, for breaking down racial stereotypes and prejudice. It tells the love story between a Chinese immigrant and a white nurse. Why despite itself, you ask? Because the role of the immigrant was played by a Caucasian.
3. Bataan (1943) – As we said, progress tends to come slowly; so the breakthrough in this film is based on the stature and prominence of an African-American character in its script. Kenneth Smith, in the role of a demolitions expert, is a major step up from the usual casting given to people of color up to that point.
4. Home of the Brave (1949) – James Edwards, in the role of  paralyzed Army private Peter Moss, is the central character of the film. As an educated and sensitive character, Edwards breaks the stereotypical mold of black men on screen.
5. Carmen Jones (1954) – Though the film itself did little if anything to change racial stereotypes, Dorothy Dandridge delivered a performance in it that won her an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress in a Leading Role, a first for an African-American actress.
6. The Defiant Ones (1958) – Two chain gang members from a Southern prison – one white and one black – escape while shackled together, and must rely upon one another to avoid capture. The movie chronicles the changes in their perspectives toward one another as they elude their pursuers.
7. A Raisin in the Sun (1961) – A poor black family in Chicago receives a large insurance payment, and strives with one another about how best to use it. Through their bickering, we discover the complexities and differing perspectives between generations, individual family members and race.
8. To Kill a Mockingbird (1962) – A white lawyer defends a black man in the Deep South against false charges of rape. Racial prejudices themselves are put on trial in this film adaptation of the literary masterpiece by Harper Lee.
9. Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner (1967) – An impending interracial marriage forces the couple’s parents to each examine their prejudices and intolerance. The dialogue is intelligent, genuine and even-handed.
10. Sweet Sweetback’s Baadasssss Song (1971) – Melvin Van Peebles created an entire genre – the blaxploitation film – with this pioneering movie. Turning the establishment on its end, his assault on White America resonated with black audiences, the echoes of which can still be heard in the corporate offices of Hollywood.