10 Black Film & TV Heroes That Rock

Black heroes come in all forms. Over the last year, the African American community has been inspired by both fictional and non-fictional heroes. Whether on the big screen or behind the scenes, Black Excellence was thriving. Let’s take a look back and recognize some of film and television’s most recent heroes. Also be sure to catch some of these heroes and more in action and learn about the men and women behind-the-scenes making our heroes super. Just say, “Black History Month” into your Xfinity X1 Voice Remote on Black Film & TV with XFINITY On Demand, where Black History is always on.

Donald Glover

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2017 was a great year for Donald Glover. He gave us “Atlanta,” which was amazing, and earned him two Golden Globes, two Primetime Emmy Awards and an NACCP Image Award just to name a few.  Donald Glover was definitely every young creative genius’ hero last year.

Luke Cage

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Luke Cage was introduced to us in 2014 as a mere love interest in Jessica Jones. In 2016, Luke Cage had his own spin-off show. By 2017, he used his ability to withstand pain to team up with Jones, Iron Fist and Daredevil to save the city of New York — all while being unapologetically black.

Scott Ward (Bright)

In the beginning, Officer Ward, played by Will Smith, isn’t exactly the nicest police officer. He’s just trying to live to see another day. While he may not have been heroic at first, by the end of “Bright” he definitely finds his way, becoming the hero the future needs.

Jordan Peele

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Jordan Peele made an entire movie about racism and packaged it in a dark comedy the entire family could enjoy. Then he won several awards for it and is now nominated for a Golden Globe. If this isn’t a hero, I don’t know who is.

Roman J. Israel, Esq.

Played by Denzel Washington, Roman J. Israel, Esq. was an attorney for the people.Unfortunately, he didn’t get paid much for it. As he struggled to keep the lights on, he used his expertise to fight for social justice. Unfortunately, he also ended up losing his life after trying to do the right thing.

Issa Rae

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Issa Rae has been an inspiration to young black women ever since she showed the world that you can become successful based on your own creations. To watch her go from a Youtube series to an award-winning HBO series is nothing short of amazing. She’s truly a hero!

Tiffany Haddish

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Another hero to many women, Tiffany Haddish has proven that a young lady from the hood can come from nothing and become larger than life if she stays true to herself. Her success throughout her breakout performance in “Girls Trip,” followed by her ability to stay humble, is what makes Tiffany the loveable woman we want to see win for years to come.

T’Challa (Black Panther)

T’Challa is the hero we’ve always needed. Imagine, a prince is the wealthiest Marvel hero in the world, and he’s BLACK and from Africa! He’s the true epitome of black excellence.

Finn (Star Wars: The Last Jedi)

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We were blessed to get two Star Wars films starring a black Jedi. John Boyega was the pure definition of class and honor in both films.

Cyborg (Justice League)

Cyborg didn’t get the credit he deserved in the recent Justice League film. He was just as important as Wonder Woman and Flash, and far more important than Batman. He was smart, family oriented and didn’t ask to be a hero, but he certainly was. He deserves recognition and some type of entry into the Black History Hall of Fame.