Juneteenth on Hoopla: Tap a Color, Discover a Story

Where the Wildflowers Grow by Terah Shelton Harris 

After watching her entire family die, Leigh is just trying to survive. When a prison bus crash gives her a second chance, she hides out on a quiet Alabama flower farm. She starts healing alongside a sweet found family, but her dark past is catching up, and she can’t outrun it forever.

An American Marriage by Tayari Jones and read by Sean Crisden and Eisa Davis 

Newlyweds Celestial and Roy are building a great life in the South when Roy is wrongfully sentenced to 12 years in prison. As the years pass, Celestial struggles to hold on and leans on a childhood friend. When Roy’s conviction is suddenly overturned, they must reckon with the fallout. 

Charisma’s Turn by Monique Couvson and illustrated by Amanda Jones 

A dynamic graphic novel about Charisma, a Black high schooler dealing with massive pressure at home and school. When family drama and a school conflict collide, she hits a major crossroads and has to make a choice that could completely change her future.

Kendrick Lamar – Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers (2022) 

Kendrick Lamar’s double album plays out like an intense, two-act theatrical therapy session. He completely drops his “savior” image to face his deepest demons, like trauma, infidelity, and generational curses. Ultimately, it’s a raw, personal confession all about healing and breaking toxic cycles.

MasterClass Presents: Black History, Black Freedom, and Black Love – Season 1 

This is a 54-lesson course spanning 10 hours, providing an uncensored look at 400 years of American history. The curriculum, structured around Black history, contemporary freedom, and future-focused love, explores the impact of white supremacy, systemic racism, and the resilience of Black culture. Featuring Jelani Cobb, Kimberlé Williams Crenshaw, Angela Davis, Nikole Hannah-Jones, Sherrilyn Ifill, John McWhorter, and Cornel West.

Don’t Cry for Me by Daniel Black 

Lying on his deathbed, a Black father writes a final letter to his estranged, gay son. He opens up about their family’s painful history in Arkansas, old secrets, and deep regrets. It’s a powerful, moving story about breaking cycles of inherited trauma and finally finding peace and forgiveness. 

Black Joy written and read by Tracey Michae’l Lewis-Giggetts 

Tracey M. Lewis-Giggetts expands on her viral Washington Post essay to show that Black joy isn’t just about resisting trauma—it’s a powerful tool for resilience. Through beautiful essays, she celebrates joy within Black culture, challenging the narrow narrative that Black life is defined only by hardship. 

Monster: A Graphic Novel by Walter Dean Myers and Guy A. Sims and illustrated by Dawud Anyabwile 

This provocative, award-winning coming-of-age story is about Steve Harmon, a teen on trial for murder and robbery. As he navigates juvenile detention and the courtroom, he copes with the terrifying ordeal by imagining it all playing out as a movie on the big screen.

Marvin Gaye – What’s Going On (1971) 

Singing from a returning Vietnam vet’s POV, Gaye offers a timeless reflection on injustice, war, and humanity. It changed music history, proving that songs about real-world issues could be deeply poetic and still become massive chart-topping hits.

America’s Long Struggle Against Slavery 

Dive into the history of the American anti-slavery movement with professor Richard Bell. Across 30 eye-opening episodes, you’ll track the fight from the 15th century past Reconstruction, getting an up-close look at a brutal system and the brave people who risked everything to tear it down. 

Black Girls Must Be Magic by Jayne Allen 

Tabitha’s grandmother always said, “Black girls must die exhausted,” and between a surprise solo pregnancy, an exhausting routine, and a boss criticizing her natural hair, she feels it. When her ex pops back up with demands, Tabitha leans on her tight-knit village of women to take control of her future. 

Kindred by Octavia E. Butler and read by Kim Staunton 

In 1976, 26-year-old Dana is suddenly pulled back in time to antebellum Maryland. She realizes she must protect a young white slaveholder to ensure her own family lineage survives. Octavia E. Butler’s brilliant sci-fi classic masterfully tackles the brutal reality of slavery through a tense, time-bending adventure. 

March: Book One by John Robert Lewis and Andrew Aydin and illustrated by Nate Powell 

Follow John Lewis from his youth in rural Alabama to his life-changing meeting with Martin Luther King, Jr. You’ll see the birth of the Nashville Student Movement and their fierce, nonviolent battle against segregation through lunch counter sit-ins, leading all the way to a massive climax at City Hall. 

Kool & The Gang – Celebrate! (1980) 

This platinum record traded the band’s raw ’70s funk for a smooth, radio-ready mix of pop, R&B, and dance. Driven by the massive #1 global anthem “Celebration,” it’s a smooth, post-disco classic of communal celebration energy. 

The Black Church: This Is Our Story, This Is Our Song – Season 1 

Trace the history of the Black church in America from enslavement to today. This series dives into the major moments that shaped an institution at the very core of African American life, always leading the charge for hope and real change. 

Ken Burns Collection BingePass 

The famed director has several documentaries here that speak to Black experience: his nine-part The Civil War, 10-part Jazz, four-episode Muhammad Ali, and the moving film The Central Park Five. 

Last Summer on State Street by Toya Wolfe 

In the summer of 1999, Fe Fe and her friends navigate childhood in Chicago’s Robert Taylor Homes just before they’re torn down. When a new girl joins their group, it fractures their bonds and families. Decades later, Fe Fe looks back, trying to heal from the grief and reclaim lost love.  

Fire Shut Up in My Bones by Charles M. Blow and read by Leon Nixon 

Charles M. Blow grew up in segregated Louisiana, fiercely close to his unstoppable mother. But after an older cousin abused him, his world fractured. This moving story follows his journey from a traumatic childhood to becoming one of America’s most respected public voices, finding deep healing along the way.

Black History in Its Own Words written and illustrated by Ronald Wimberly 

Get a fresh look at Black history, told by the icons who shaped it. This insightful comic features striking portraits and illustrations by Ronald Wimberly alongside memorable quotes from luminaries like Angela Davis, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Dave Chappelle, and Spike Lee.  

Janelle Monáe – Dirty Computer (2018) 

Mixing R&B, funk, and synth-pop, this album is an anthem for Black, queer, and marginalized folks. It flips the script on a conformist society that treats unique identities like “bugs” or “viruses” to be fixed (hence the title), reframing those traits as superpowers and celebrating pure authenticity.  

How It Feels to Be Free 

Get an inside look at how African American women artists shook up politics and entertainment. This story follows six trailblazing icons (Lena Horne, Abbey Lincoln, Diahann Carroll, Nina Simone, Cicely Tyson, and Pam Grier) as they completely change American culture through their music, movies, fashion, and activism.  

Luther SeasonPass: Season 1 

Luther follows a brilliant but deeply troubled detective (Idris Elba) fighting his own demons while hunting depraved killers. On a lonely moral crusade, he dives straight into the minds of psychopaths and the shadows of his own soul, proving he might be just as dangerous as the monsters he pursues.