It comes down to this: black people were stripped of our identities when we were brought here, and it's been a quest since then to define who we are.
Spike Lee

My cousin Malcolm Lee is also a filmmaker.
Spike Lee

Right now a lot of people are still choosing to go to Toronto instead of shooting in New York City, something I haven't done and something I hope I'll never have to do.
Spike Lee

Since the days of slavery, if you were a good singer or dancer, it was your job to perform for the master after dinner.
Spike Lee

There's a lot of Americans, black and white, who think that we've arrived where we need to be and nothing else needs to be done and affirmative action needs to be dismantled.
Spike Lee

There's an unwritten law that you cannot have a Jewish character in a film who isn't 100 percent perfect, or you're labeled anti-Semitic.
Spike Lee

Violence is a part of America. I don't want to single out rap music. Let's be honest. America's the most violent country in the history of the world, that's just the way it is. We're all affected by it.
Spike Lee

We grew up in a very creative environment and were exposed to the arts at a very young age, so it's not a surprise that all of us are in some form of the arts.
Spike Lee