Acclaimed filmmaker Spike Lee and his wife, producer Tonya Lewis Lee, are calling on African Americans to embrace new opportunities to reconnect with their ancestral roots as the West African nation of Benin begins offering citizenship to descendants of enslaved Africans — without financial investment requirements.
Speaking in an interview with FRANCE 24 on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, Spike Lee emphasized the significance of Benin’s initiative:
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“Our brothers and sisters in Benin are telling us: come home, welcome us home, come back to the motherland. Come back to where your roots are.”
The couple were recently appointed as thematic ambassadors to Benin for the African American diaspora. They see their role as raising awareness and encouraging stronger cultural and ancestral ties. “We could be a blueprint for other African nations to follow Benin’s example,” they said.
Turning to U.S. politics, Spike Lee described the current climate under President Donald Trump as “the year of living dangerously,” borrowing from Peter Weir’s 1982 film.
Tonya Lewis Lee added historical context, noting that her parents grew up in the segregated South:
“Donald Trump is nothing new. He’s just saying the quiet parts out loud. We make progress, then we take steps back, and then we move forward again.”
Despite acknowledging setbacks in race relations, she expressed optimism: “The good news is, Donald Trump will not be president forever. And people will rise up, as they are doing.”
Spike Lee pointed to moments of public mobilization, such as the outcry over comedian Jimmy Kimmel’s brief removal from the air, as proof that people are willing to push back against injustice.
“People are being galvanized by what’s happening in the White House. Justice is going to prevail.”
