Best shows to stream for Black History Month

Premiering on January 16, 2018, The CW’s Black Lightning is an adaptation of the DC Comics character and story, penned by Tony Isabella and Trever Von Eeden. Starring Cress Williams as the titular hero, the show follows Jefferson Pierce, the man who once bore the Black Lightning moniker but traded his cape for a peaceful life with his wife and two daughters. But when a gang of long-ago villains rears its head once more, the city of Freeland will suffer. Thus, Black Lightning returns. Combining humor, superhero action set pieces, and well-balanced and incisive social commentary, Black Lightning is a fitting addition to Netflix’s library of comic books, heroes, and villains, with the first three seasons available to stream. A fourth and final season is currently airing on The CW.

In Atlanta, cousins Earn Marks (Donald Glover), an ambitious manager, and Alfred Miles (Brian Tyree Henry), an aspiring rapper, are trying to make a name for themselves in the Atlanta music scene. Through four seasons, the family unit, along with supporting friends, scrimp, struggle, and laugh their way into whatever limelight they can foster. Balancing drama and comedy in a way that keeps landing the show a myriad of awards, Atlanta is an alluring series you don’t want to miss.

Black-ish is a long-running ABC series created by Kenya Barris, which follows the day-in-the-life tribulations of the Johnson family, an upper-class family made up of father Andre (Anthony Anderson), his wife Rainbow (Tracee Ellis Ross), and their five kids. Shining a light on cultural assimilation, identity, and racial issues, the series uses comedy and satire to present an all-encompassing portrait of the Black experience. Premiering in 2014, all seven seasons of the show are available to stream on Hulu.

HBO’s Insecure is a loose adaptation of creator Issa Rae’s successful web series, Awkward Black Girl. Starring Issa Rae as herself and Yvonne Orji as her best friend, Molly, the series unpacks the Black female experience through sharp comedic writing and brilliant acting from the larger-than-life talents, set against the backdrop of sunny Los Angeles. A nearly-perfect comedy-drama, the impact grows from season to season, making for one of the best binges of this roundup. The first four seasons are available to stream on HBO and HBO Max, with a fifth and final season in development.