15 Classic Black-Led Disney Channel Original Movies
The announcement of a 4th film in 'The Cheetah Girls' franchise reminded us of all the great Disney Channel Original Movies with Black leads.
Black News 
It’s never a bad time to watch a feel-good Disney Channel Original Movie, be it a classic from the ’80s and ’90s, anything from the 2000s golden era or even some of the newer projects released during the current Disney+ era.
One of the pioneering films that made the 2000s stand out was the 2003 fan-favorite musical, The Cheetah Girls. Starring then-teen sensation Raven-Symoné, the movie would go on to produce two successful sequels and a franchise that is still in demand over 20 years later.
Actually, fandom has built so much over the years that it convinced Raven to finally pull out the cheetah print one more time for an upcoming fourth film titled The Cheetah Girls: Next Gen.
RELATED: Raven-Symone Turned Down Disney’s Proposal To Make Iconic Character A Lesbian For Raven’s Home
Details are still developing on what to expect from Cheetah Girls 4, including if it will also include co-stars Adrienne Bailon, Sabrina Bryan and especially Kiely Williams given her and Raven’s highly-publicized feud. Nonetheless, the sheer sight of Raven walking on the set in the shared clip above is enough to get the inner child in many of us excited for the series to be entering the territory of a tetralogy.
Just imagine if we get another “Cinderella” out it it!
The nostalgia of it all got us really thinking back on the many other Disney Channel Original Movies that featured a Black lead, from singing sistas, superhero families and a dearly missed spy to deeper subjects on race relations and a fantastical film that gave us a clever term for “twin witches.”
For those who have a Disney+ account or at least access to a good movie streaming site, we put together a list for your next throwback movie night if you want some family films to watch with added cultural significance. Although they make up a smaller portion of the wider DCOM catalog, they’ve each made a substantial impact on introducing inclusive storytelling, depicting a positive image of Black families and the emphasis of unity amongst us all.
As we wait for more details on the upcoming release of The Cheetah Girls: Next Gen, take a look below at some of our favorite Disney Channel Original Movies with Black leads:
Perfect Harmony (1991)
Eugene Byrd shines in this surprising take on racial tensions during the Civil Rights Movement.
