Kansas City opening Black Movie Hall of Fame honoring Don Cheadle, Janelle Monae, and more
Kansas City is going to be home to the Black Movie Hall of Fame, a first-of its-kind place highlighting and honoring the contributions of Black artists, directors and producers.
The Black Movie Hall of Fame is set to open in the restored Boone Theater in Kansas City on February 28, 2026. The Hall of Fame was founded by award-winning film critic and African American Film Critics Association co-founder Shawn Edwards, along with cultural strategist Tucker Lott.
There’s a special connection for the city as well, as all the inaugural honorees have ties to the region, whether born and raised there or starring in a film related to the area.
Lott said in a statement to The Kansas City Star, “This isn’t just a celebration. It’s the beginning of something historic for Kansas City and for generations of film lovers everywhere.”
Check out who’s being honored and why below!
Don Cheadle
Don Cheadle was born and raised in Kansas City, Missouri, and is one of the one of the most highly acclaimed actors working today, with an Oscar nomination, multiple Emmy nominations, two Golden Globes wins, two Grammy wins, and a Tony win, just to name a few of his accolades.
And though he moved around a bit when he was younger, Cheadle has remained a loyal Kansas City Chiefs supporter.
Hattie McDaniel
Hattie McDaniel made history as the first Black person to win an Oscar for her role as Mammy in “Gone with the Wind.” McDaniel was born in Wichita, Kansas to formerly enslaved parents and her father fought in the Civil War with the 122nd United States Colored Troops.
Janelle Monáe
Janelle Monáe was born and raised in Kansas City, Kansas, and got her start singing at her local church before training at the Coterie Theater's Young Playwrights' Round Table, a local theater in Kansas City, MO. Monáe is a Grammy-nominated musician as well as an acclaimed actor, recently starring in “Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery.”
Kevin Willmott
Kevin Willmott won an Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay for the film “BlacKkKlansman,” alongside Spike Lee, who he worked with again for “Da 5 Bloods.” Willmott is born and raised in Junction City, Kansas and is a professor at the University of Kansas.
Chadwick Boseman
The late Chadwick Boseman starred in “42” in 2013, portraying the groundbreaking baseball player Jackie Robinson, who started his baseball career with the Kansas City Monarchs.
Forest Whitaker
Forest Whitaker played jazz musician Charlie Parker in the 1988 biopic “Bird.” Parker was born in Kansas City, Kansas, and is considered the founder of bebop, known for its fast tempo and improvisational style.
Harry Belafonte
Harry Belafonte, the actor and singer, played real-life Kansas City gangster Seldom Seen in Robert Altman’s film, “Kansas City.”
Oscar Micheaux
Oscar Micheaux is known as the “Grandfather of Black Cinema,” the first Black person to direct and produce a feature film, “The Homesteader” in 1909. He went on to direct and produce over 40 more films throughout his career. Micheaux is buried in Great Bend, Kansas, with a headstone that reads “A Man Ahead of His Time.”
Gordon Parks
Gordon Parks is known for directing movies like “Shaft” and helping create the “blaxploitation” film genre. Born in Fort Scott, Kansas, Parks was also a prominent photojournalist from the 1940s to the 1970s.
Tressie Souders
Tressie Souders is the first known Black woman to direct a feature film, 1922’s “A Woman’s Error.” Souders was born in Frankfort, Kansas, and performed in some local plays before creating her feature film.
