*Spike Lee’s films consistently weave Black American and Puerto Rican communities into New York’s vibrant tapestry, a theme prominent in his latest Denzel Washington collaboration, “Highest 2 Lowest.”
In an interview with theGrio, Lee explained why this bond is central to his storytelling. “Here’s the thing. I grew up in Fort Greene and back then before gentrification, it was Black and Puerto Rican,” he said. “The Dominicans had not taken over yet from the Puerto Ricans.”
From Rosie Perez in “Do The Right Thing” to the Afro-Puerto Rican heritage celebrated in Netflix’s “She’s Gotta Have It,” Lee’s work reflects the cultural interplay he witnessed growing up. “Black people and Puerto Rican intermarried, man,” he recalled. “It’s like, it was all love.”
His latest film features a Puerto Rican Day parade scene with Eddie Palmieri’s salsa band, a poignant moment as Palmieri passed away shortly after the film’s screening. “To have the great Eddie Palmieri and the Salsa Orchestra bless us and then he’s no longer with us. I mean, that’s… whew. Big blow,” Lee said.
Historical alliances, like those between the Black Panthers and the Young Lords in 1960s New York, inform Lee’s narratives, though tensions existed as some Puerto Ricans distanced themselves from Black communities to gain social privilege. Lee acknowledged regional differences, noting, “I’ve never lived in L.A., but. I know for sure what we have here in New York ain’t what they have in L.A.”
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Lee’s casting, like Anthony Ramos as Mars in “She’s Gotta Have It,” underscores fluidity between identities. “In the film, Mars is African-American and in the TV show… Mars is Boricua,” he said. “There was no big beef about it. It was understood.”
Through his lens, Lee captures the shared history and love between these communities, using art to foster understanding in a time of evolving allyship.
