Spike Lee talks New York sports, legacy of Malcolm X and 2024 election

Few people can claim to have as influential of a cultural impact as Academy Award-winning director Spike Lee. Known for his poignant films that lay bare race relations and various issues within the Black community, Lee has been one of the most revered filmmakers of this age since his theatrical debut in 1986 with She’s Gotta Have It.

But Lee is more than a cultural commentator. He’s a decorated tastemaker who played a role in helping boost the popularity of Michael Jordan‘s Air Jordan sneaker line by prominently featuring the Air Jordan brand in She’s Gotta Have It, in which Lee himself portrayed sneakerhead Mars Blackmon. This subsequently led to the famed Nike commercials that spawned one of Lee’s most famous quotes “It’s gotta be the shoes, money.”

This long-lasting partnership between Lee and the Jordan brand has stood the test of time, with His Airness playing a key funding role in the production of Lee’s seminal Malcolm X film in 1992.

In celebration of his art and efforts promoting racial equality through his films, Lee on October 17 was among the honorees at the 33rd annual Freedom Award held by the National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis, Tennessee, alongside lawyer and Howard professor Sherrilyn Ifill and civil rights activist Xernona Clayton, who once traveled on speaking tours with Coretta Scott King and helped organize marches with the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Held at the Orpheum on legendary Beale Street, The Freedom Award honors those who have made strides in elevating and leading the charge on civil rights issues. Built onto the historic Lorraine Motel, where the Rev. King was assassinated on April 4, 1968, the National Civil Rights Museum describes the award as among the “nation’s most prestigious honors,” with past recipients including Usher, former President Jimmy Carter, Stevie Wonder and Stacey Abrams.