[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 29 (Thursday, February 14, 2019)]
[House]
[Page H2024]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




        CONGRATULATING SPIKE LEE ON HIS ACADEMY AWARD NOMINATION

  (Ms. CLARKE of New York asked and was given permission to address the 
House for 1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Ms. CLARKE of New York. Mr. Speaker, I rise today during Black 
History Month to honor a man who represents Brooklyn, New York, to the 
fullest, a trailblazer, an innovator, and a cinematic genius: 
Brooklyn's own Spike Lee.
  On behalf of the people of the Ninth Congressional District of New 
York, I would like to congratulate Spike Lee, a son of Brooklyn, on 
receiving the first-ever best director Oscar nomination despite a more 
than 30-year career in film.
  He joins the ranks of only six other African Americans to ever be 
nominated for the category.
  Mr. Lee was raised in Brooklyn and attended Morehouse College, where 
he received a bachelor of arts in mass communications. He received a 
fine arts degree from NYU's Tisch School of the Arts.
  Many of Mr. Lee's films have examined race relations, colorism in the 
Black community, and the role of the media in contemporary life and 
political issues.
  Spike has never ceased to speak out against injustice in the Black 
community.
  He has been outspoken on police brutality, environmental injustice, 
and other issues that affect communities in Brooklyn and beyond.
  His love of Brooklyn is reflected in his activism and his work.
  Forty Acres and a Mule, Spike's production company, is based in 
Brooklyn, contributing in part to the economy that keeps our city 
running.
  He shot films like ``Do the Right Thing'' and ``Crooklyn'' in 
Brooklyn, allowing viewers to experience all that we know and love 
about Brooklyn.
  Spike Lee continues to produce work that pushes the envelope on 
topics that need to be discussed. ``BlacKkKlansman,'' for which he is 
being nominated, has received praise and adoration for its topics 
around combating racism.

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