Spike Lee Urges African Americans To ‘Come Back To The Motherland’ In Africa

Spike Lee wants African Americans to tap into their roots in the African motherland.

Spike Lee is fully immersed in his ambassadorship role in Benin, where he’s urging African Americans to reconnect with their ancestral roots on the continent.

Academy Award-winning filmmaker Spike Lee and his wife, Tonya Lewis Lee, were recently appointed as thematic ambassadors to Benin, representing the African American diaspora in the U.S. In this role, the couple is charged with inspiring African Americans to make pilgrimages to Benin, a West African nation with profound ties to the Atlantic Slave Trade.

With nations such as Benin, Ghana, Sierra Leone, and Guinea-Bissau opening pathways to citizenship for African Americans, Lee emphasizes that now is the moment to return to the motherland.

“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,” Lee told France24.

In July, Lee and his wife stepped into their new roles as thematic ambassadors for Benin to the African diaspora in the United States. Their appointment aligns with Benin’s wider initiative to reconnect the diaspora with its heritage, boost cultural tourism, and encourage nationality applications from descendants of those taken from Benin during the transatlantic slave trade.

The couple plans to leverage their global platforms to amplify awareness and support for these efforts, which they describe as a “blueprint” for African Americans in the U.S. Whether it’s a trip to Benin or exploring dual citizenship, Lee believes it’s an option worth considering as Americans navigate what he calls “the year of living dangerously,” a nod to the 1982 Peter Weir film, under Trump’s second presidential term.

For Lewis Lee, the president’s rhetoric is nothing new, pointing to her parents’ experiences growing up in the segregated South. She says Trump’s controversial remarks and actions merely bring to the surface sentiments that are often kept hidden.

“To me, Donald Trump is nothing new. I think he’s he’s saying the quiet parts out loud,” she said. “I think we make we make a lot of progress, and then we make steps backwards, and then we make progress again.”

“The good news is, Donald Trump will not be president forever,” Tonya added. “And people will rise up, as they are [doing].”

The BlacKkKlansman director pointed to the recent controversy over the temporary suspension of Jimmy Kimmel’s late-night show, which was swiftly reinstated after widespread backlash from Americans who protested by canceling their Disney, Hulu, and ESPN subscriptions.

“People are being galvanised by what’s happening in the White House. So justice is going to prevail,” Lee said.