Slideshow: 20 films that uplifted black America

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Tonight, the Academy Awards are poised to make a few more cracks in the glass ceiling that has stymied women and people of color for decades. In particular, Viola Davis and Octavia Spencer are uniquely positioned to add an Oscar, the highest honor of American film, to their mantles. The following is a tribute to many of the great performances and films that have contributed diversity, depth and unique facets of the black experience to Hollywood history.

These films are by no means a definitive list of but rather a sampling of the body of film work that has had a significant impact on American cinema. this list includes a healthy mix of narrative and documentary that cuts across genre. Spike Lee’s joints appear the most with a total of three and all featured contributions span a total of over 75 years. The criteria for selection on this particular list include historic achievement, its test against time, and breakthrough performance, direction or filmmaking technique. Whether or not African-Americans make history this Sunday, we can look back proudly on these films and performances that have paved the way for so many to come.