Netflix has added a genre to its service: Black Lives Matter.
Yup, the streaming giant introduced the new category—which can be located under the “genre” section—on Tuesday. The goal is for viewers to learn more about racial injustice and the Black experience in America through the collection of films, series and documentaries. Titles under this newly-created heading, Orange Is the New Black, Self Made, Malcolm X, American Son, All Day and a Night, When They See Us and more.
A spokesperson for the company told Entertainment Weekly, "The Black Lives Matter collection speaks to racial injustice and the Black experience in America—and we hope that highlighting these titles can help increase empathy and understanding."
The social justice category will remain a permanent addition to Netflix and is currently available worldwide.
"When we say 'Black Lives Matter,' we also mean 'Black storytelling matters,'" Netflix wrote in a tweet. "With an understanding that our commitment to true, systemic change will take time—we're starting by highlighting powerful and complex narratives about the Black experience. When you log onto Netflix today, you will see a carefully curated list of titles that only begin to tell the complex and layered stories about racial injustice and Blackness in America."
Netflix’s decision comes shortly after the film The Help jumped to their number one spot in the U.S., leading many to question if the movie (told through the eyes of a white protagonist) really was a meaningful representation of the Black experience in America. The hashtag #TheHelp also started trending on Twitter.
We definitely know what we’ll be doing this weekend.