Keypoints:
- Benin opens citizenship to African diaspora
- Spike Lee, wife appointed as ambassadors
- Couple hopeful on US justice and change
FILMMAKER Spike Lee and his wife, producer Tonya Lewis Lee, have urged African Americans to embrace a new offer of citizenship from Benin, describing the move as a powerful invitation for descendants of enslaved Africans to reconnect with their ancestral homeland.
The couple spoke to France 24 on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, following their appointment as thematic ambassadors for Benin to the African American diaspora.
‘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 said.
A model for other African nations
The initiative allows descendants of enslaved Africans to obtain Beninese citizenship without requiring financial investment. According to the Lees, the scheme could serve as a ‘blueprint’ for other African nations seeking to reconnect with communities whose ancestors were displaced by the transatlantic slave trade.
‘We could be a blueprint,’ the couple stressed, suggesting that Benin’s example could help reshape how African states engage with the global diaspora.
Political reflections on Trump era
The interview also turned to race relations and politics in the United States under President Donald Trump. Lee described the current climate as ‘the year of living dangerously,’ referencing the 1982 Peter Weir film.
Tonya Lewis Lee said Trump’s rhetoric was simply a louder version of long-standing challenges. ‘To me, Donald Trump is nothing new. I think he’s saying the quiet parts out loud,’ she explained, recalling how her parents had lived through segregation in the American South.
She added: ‘I think 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. And people will rise up, as they are [doing].’
Hope for justice and change
Spike Lee echoed his wife’s optimism, citing the public backlash that led to the reinstatement of comedian Jimmy Kimmel after his removal from the airwaves. ‘People are being galvanised by what’s happening in the White House. So justice is going to prevail,’ he said.
For the Lees, Benin’s initiative represents more than a policy—it is a chance for reconnection and resilience, both in Africa and in the United States.
