FJ-HRN-2088

Sound bite: Elise Neal
I knew Spike even before I was acting; I wanted to be a musical dancer on Broadway. I remember the first time we met he came and tapped me on the shoulder and I was nervous and I wonder who this wonderful man was. He goes you did a commercial that I hated. That’s one thing I love about Spike Lee. I actually ended up having a small role in Malcolm X which was the first film I had ever done. To make a long story short; he’s always been the same he’s always been honest he’s always been direct and it shows in the movies that he makes and the films and TV shows he’s apart of . It’s always been the heart of him and he just can’t let that go and that’s what I’ve always loved about him.

Sound bite: Rick Fox
Well I think as one of those individuals that got a start do to Spike Lee there’s a gratitude that goes there from in front of the camera but also shooting with him and having him share the behind the camera, the production side the producing side having him open his set to me as an individual who wasn’t working as an actor and sit and watch other actors work like Denzel and Samuel L the individuals he’s worked with for many years. But then like you said noticing how when I do go to the set these young kids getting an opportunity for the first time to be part of a production to those who have been there for many years that he is so loyal to. And then to hear and to see him travel to different schools to give lectures to students who want to do what he’s doing or want to be in this business. To know that he’s not set in his position of success and not reaching back; he’s continually reaching back pulling forward young men and women who desire to do this also. There’s one thing to inspire people through your actions it another thing to reach back and pull people along like he has.

Sound bite: Rick Fox
Well I think it’s definitely gives a cautiousness when leaving the house that I didn’t have before. And in general as a society the information age has broaden to instant access via the internet via the news where there’s so many channels live feed and streaming across the world from one point to the next instantly, I think that has change the dynamic and geographic of content and pres in general. And So as you guys shift and move to it us as consumers shift our and adjust our viewing to it and we as the people being reported upon should have an awareness to it. I think it’s an on going triangle that that I think that that is is we’ve shifting into that is we are not going to go we are not moving backwards it’s only going to continue to be more a intru more a I wouldn’t say is intrusive I think it’s a relationship you know the viewer, the reporters, and the talent have with each other

Sound bite: Jimmy Jean Louis
O yeah, completely whether it’s in France, in England, in Germany, or even in South American even in Africa. so yes the difference with with here is that a lot of the black people have some kinda of power, compared to the black people in France. They have no power they are just following what they are given. When I just say that we don’t see too many black people in the theaters you don’t see them either on TV or any high positions such as CEO or manager or anything like that. So yes it is a big deal it’s just over there its a little bit smoother they make it look like it’s not a problem, but I mean it is what it is. I mean once again we are all animals we all human and there will always be kind of fact among race. To the point where we accept each other and hopefully the fact could be less about the color that we are and more about what we think as far as ideas that we have to better the world. And and which is a good situation now with what’s happening the with with Obama and we have two great candidates for democrats and…talks…So body like him for example will be able to get people around the table. He’ll be able to start a talk. Verses somebody else who will just scare everybody else. That’s a that’s a big deal that’s a big deal people won’t be afraid to actually take a call or actually have a meeting with Barak Obama and speak about big issues that’s accentually how we can have a better world by communicating our problems and finding solutions.

Sound bite: Vanessa A Williams
Okay I will exactly speak to that; first of all I’m a Brooklyn girl, first of all what he did for Manhattan hello Brooklyn in the house. What what he did for Manhattan Spike absolutely absotivly did for Brooklyn so I’m Bedsat (?) born and raised so this is my this is my boy. Of course I wanted to do every single Spike film and audition for every single Spike film that’s ever came out because he was you know the man and the the creative genus to get with you know um what is meant for us just in terms of making, from telling our story and what we know of the power of film and television is that what’s on film and television becomes what’s important or tells you what’s important. So as an African American woman as a person of color to see those images that are so authentically African American, to see a woman reason her mans head was powerful was humongous, cause never before had I seen that image. And I knew that Spike was speaking directly to me and for me and it was Love, it was Love and I was so so grateful. As I said Auditioning for every single thing working extra anyway you could get in you wanted to fit in with the Spike Lee crew and I actually did “Drop Squad” which was a film that came out of the whole Spike Lee camp. There was so many filmmakers and so much energy and creative energy it was a major renaissance and I was there at that time so it was like old home week coming home to celebrate him and of course he deserves so much honor and praise. And we’re just grateful for his continued legacy from telling us how the levees broke to giving us Malcolm X he’s just giving us the world. All these images and all theses stories that we desperately desperately need and we want to see ourselves so me personally I give thanks and I’m so grateful.

Sound bite: Laz Alonzo
Well I think we should be talking we should be speaking the truth, you know I mean we live in a society that is headerogenus you know it’s not just one race or another America was built on the backs of pretty much every single culture, religion, creed, race, you can think of it’s it’s that salad bowl you know you get some tomatoes, you get some onions, you get some cheese, you know every now and then you get some welted lettuce you just get that out and keep the good stuff. And that’s the beauty of America and that’s why our flag has so many beautiful color that come together to make one flag. You know I think what Spike does is very necessary is talk about some of the truths that exist some of them are positive and some of them may not be so positive as long as they’re truth then they give us a platform to discuss and learn from and I think that’s what is happening right now with Barak Obama being one of the candidates as well as Hilary being a woman and being one of the candidates, it lets us air out some of the things that we may not of even known existed and learn from the and get them out of the way and be able to have a real conversation between people without all these you know walls that we have built up. I think education is the key to overcoming a lot of fears and prejudices that we have. And I think a lot of those walls are being torn down right now.

Sound bite: Patti Austin
Where it is it’s um better than it was twenty years ago where it needs to be is a lot better then it is now. Laughs

Sound bite: Patti Austin
Well I think we’re talking about them, but I think everything that everyone says that doesn’t agree with what the other person says gets the other person freak out and that’s the part that’s gotta stop you know. Okay you can scream a little bit when it’s happening but the next day go and reflect on it and try to walk around in the other guys moccasins. There’s not enough of that going on. You know I think one of the things that Obama has brilliantly done is try to appeal to people to do that. You know and talking about right and what he said in his church and this is a black church there’s another perspective try to work with people is not like going to a ceremony in temple and hearing a Rabi or going to a Catholic church and hearing a Priest. It’s a different vibe it’s a different mentality it’s a different history people have different things they remember and that creates a different environment. We have to really start to be sensitive to that about each other.

Broll: Damon Wayans, Patti Austin back to Damon Wayans

Sound bite: Brandon Fobbs
Man he’s influence is ballsey man, you step out there and do it your way and you show them that no one can kill you know what I mean but God and yourself you know what I mean so you get out there you do it your way they may not like it whatever but they are going to have to respect it. That’s how he has grown to be who he is, he’s own entity you know what I mean that’s great. you gotta see that kinda thing to know there’s an end of a line for that you know a good line like the light at the end of the tunnel. You know like man I what to do it my way but they’re telling me to do it this way. And they’re telling me it will work this way but like you know somebody like Spike and a lot of other folks just get out there and do it their way, he’s like ok ok there’s light at the end of the tunnel. You know.

Sound bite: Maragret Avery
Well until society changes I don’t think film is going to change, in depth. What you’re talking about I think I understand is because for myself I look at film and I say O it’s like ten thousands people in the seen, no people of color no Asians you know and I don’t know am I living in the dark. In California I have friends of all colors, so I think that film has to stop perpetuating the myth that we all live in a box. And huh we need to deal with the issue of race. What’s happening now politically it’s come out and I’m glad it’s out because I kept waiting ok when is when it is going to hit. We need to talk about it and not be afraid to talk about it. And it a I have prejudices I caught myself everyday, O that was a racist statement. Um but it’s only the way we are structured it’s only normal to have prejudices and they are going to remain prejudices unless we not we can’t keep sweeping it under the carpet.

Sound bite: Keith David
Well he’s honest and takes a stand, and stands firmly behind that stand and I appreciate him for that. That is you know I mean being the artist responsible for bring all of us the story of Malcolm X is like Malcolm said, If you don’t stand for something you’ll put up with anything. And Spike stands for something, and I can’t tell you in total all of what that is, I can tell you what I get out of his work and that is a stand that makes you have to think about where you are and where you stand, who you are and who we are, who we are as black people who we are as American people, and I think that is a great gift that any artist can attribute to his society.