As the Black Lives Matter protests continue, Hollywood is hoping to help viewers understand more about systemic racism and the fight for civil rights. Studios have decided to make many movies free to rent right now. Some are true stories about black history while others are fictional tales meant to inspire activism and hope.

“Just Mercy” — Released this in theaters last Christmas, this Warner Bros. movie tells the true story of Bryan Stevenson (Michael B. Jordan), a Harvard grad and lawyer who defends the wrongfully convicted. That includes Walter McMillian (Jamie Foxx), who is sentenced to death after being falsely accused of murder. Brie Larson also stars.

“The Hate U Give” — Based on the novel by Angie Thomas, 20th Century Fox’s “The Hate You Give” follows Starr (Amandla Stenberg), a black teenager who lives in a black neighborhood but attends a mostly white prep school. While driving home, her friend Khalil (Algee Smith) is shot and killed by the police during a routine traffic stop. Regina Hall, Russell Hornsby, Issa Rae and Anthony Mackie also star. It's already on YouTube's most-viewed list.

“Ali” — Will Smith plays boxer Muhammad Ali in this 2001 biopic from Columbia Pictures. Mario Van Peebles plays Malcolm X and LeVar Burton is featured as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

“Selma” — Director Ava DuVernay’s Oscar-winning 2014 film follows the 1965 Selma to Montgomery voting rights marches. David Oyelowo stars as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

“Antwone Fisher” — Inspired by a true story and written by Antwone Fisher himself, this 2002 Fox movie follows Fisher’s challenging life. His father was murdered, his mother was incarcerated, his foster parents were physically and emotionally abusive, and he was a homeless teenager. After joining the Navy, he is encouraged to process his traumatic childhood and find the road to healing.

“The Secret Life Of Bees” — The 2008 movie, based on the Sue Monk Kidd novel, follows white teenager Lily Owens (Dakota Fanning) as she runs away from her father with her housekeeper Rosaleen (Jennifer Hudson). They find safety with the beekeeping Boatwright family (Queen Latifah, Alicia Keys, Sophie Okonedo).

“Brian Banks” — Aldis Hodge stars in the 2018 Bleeker Street film as the titular football player, who is falsely convicted on rape charges. He eventually proves his innocence and scores a spot on the Atlanta Falcons.

Rent these films at no cost on any service, including YouTube, Amazon and iTunes.

Additionally, Criterion Channel has made several black films available to stream for free as well. Titles include Julie Dash’s “Daughters of the Dust,” Maya Angelou’s “Down in the Delta,” Agnès Varda’s “Black Panthers” and more.

Those who subscribe to streaming services will also find curated movie lists on Amazon (under "Black History, Hardship & Hope"), Hulu (under "Black Stories") and Netflix (under "Strong Black Lead").

The Hate U Give
"The Hate U Give" is one of several films centered around a black protagonist that are available for free right now. 20th Century Fox
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