Spike Lee and his wife named Benin ambassadors to the American diaspora
The renowned American director and his wife are participating in a new program aimed at promoting Beninese citizenship for descendants of victims of slavery. The African press welcomes this initiative.
Beninese President Patrice Talon has made a notable catch as part of his memorial policy: the famous American director Spike Lee and his wife, Tonya Lewis Lee, a lawyer by training, were officially appointed on Wednesday, July 23 , as “thematic ambassadors of the Republic of Benin to the Afro-descendant diaspora in the United States of America.”
Behind this bombastic headline, the Beninese press welcomes the stated desire to invite people of African origin to contribute to the country's development, in a similar way to what Ghana has been promoting since 2019. “As ambassadors, the two personalities will serve as a bridge between peoples and generations,” says the website of SRTB , Benin's public radio and television station.
“Tonya and Spike Lee were not chosen at random. Their work, their civic engagement, and their global influence make them credible voices for building bridges, raising awareness, and building a shared narrative,” raves La Nation.
A tireless defender of the Black cause, the director's mission will be to "strengthen ties between Benin and people of African descent around the world. This announcement follows the launch [in early July] of the My Afro Origins platform, which provides access to Beninese nationality," reports Africa Radio.
From the 17th to the 19th century, Porto-Novo and the kingdom of Dahomey, in present-day Benin, were at the heart of the triangular trade established by European powers. An estimated 25 to 30 million Africans were captured, sold, and then enslaved during these three centuries. In December 2024, the Beninese president decided to offer citizenship to people of African descent to help attract new talent to his economically struggling country.
It was in this context that Tonya Lewis Lee received Beninese nationality, after undergoing DNA testing. This led Rolling Out magazine to say that “her successful application illustrates the program's potential to transform an abstract heritage into a concrete sense of belonging.” And why not in a future film?
Courrier International
