The book Hollywood Black offers an extensive overview of Black people in cinema, from the silent film era to Black Panther, with striking photographs and an engaging narrative by award-winning author Donald Bogle. The story begins in the silent film era when white actors in blackface portrayed Black characters. Over time, Black artists like Bill "Bojangles" Robinson and Paul Robeson began to find their place in Hollywood, although they were often confined to stereotypical roles. Significant performances include Hattie McDaniel in Gone With the Wind (1939).

As the decades pass, more Black artists grace the screen. Dorothy Dandridge became the first African American woman to be nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress for Carmen Jones (1954), and Sidney Poitier excelled in films like Lilies of the Field (1963). Hollywood Black reveals the changes in images that emerged from the evolving social and political climate of the nation, from the Civil Rights era to the Black Power Movement.

The story includes the era of Blaxploitation with films like Shaft and Super Fly, the recognition of stars such as Diana Ross and Eddie Murphy, and directors like Spike Lee and John Singleton. It reaches the modern era with creators like Steve McQueen (Twelve Years a Slave) and Barry Jenkins (Moonlight), as well as major figures like Denzel Washington, Will Smith, and Halle Berry.

Filled with photographs and stories of stars and creators, Hollywood Black offers a compelling, understated history as it has never been told before.