Essence ranks MPI’s Original feature film Miss Virginia among the top biographies to stream this Black History Month. The list showcases 14 films that “celebrate the legacies of iconic trailblazers whose courage and determination have paved the way for future generations.”

Inspired by the true story of Virginia Walden Ford, Miss Virginia stars three-time Emmy winner Uzo Aduba (Mrs. America, Orange Is the New Black) as a struggling single mother who is losing her fifteen-year-old son to the rough streets of Washington, DC. Unwilling to see him drop out of school and deal drugs, she places him in a private school. But when she can’t afford tuition, she launches a movement to change the system that is destroying him and thousands like him.

In 2004, after years of activism, Virginia secured legislation that has since given over 10,000 disadvantaged, largely minority children access to safe, high-quality schools. Many have since gone on to college and rewarding careers, an outcome that would have been unimaginable without the educational boost Virginia’s law provided. We couldn’t agree more with Essence—Virginia Walden Ford is the very definition of an iconic trailblazer, and we’re thrilled to have captured her indomitable spirit on screen.

Click here to learn how you can use this inspiring film as a tool to help effect positive change within your community.