Tonya Lewis Lee and Spike Lee named thematic ambassadors of Benin for the Afro-descendant diaspora in the United States
The Beninese government announced on Tuesday, July 23, 2025, the appointment of famed American filmmakers Tonya Lewis Lee and Spike Lee as Thematic Ambassadors of the Republic of Benin to the Afro-descendant diaspora in the United States. This initiative is part of a strong movement aimed at historical, cultural, and spiritual reconnection between Benin and African peoples scattered around the world.
Tonya Lewis Lee and Spike Lee attend the 2020 Vanity Fair Oscar Party at the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts on February 09, 2020 in Beverly Hills, California.
Credit : Kevin Mazur/VF20/WireImage
Through this appointment, Benin intends to strengthen the ties with the descendants of the victims of the transatlantic trade and reposition the country as a land of origin and welcome. Both individuals will play a bridging role between generations and continents, by raising awareness, promoting dialogue, and supporting initiatives for the duty of memory and historical justice.
According to the Beninese government, the choice of Tonya Lewis Lee and Spike Lee, two emblematic figures of African-American cinema, is not random. Their artistic and social commitments have contributed to shape the contemporary narrative of the African diaspora, while defending major causes related to civil rights and collective memory.
Who are Spike and Tonya Lewis Lee?
Born in 1966, Tonya Lewis Lee is a producer, author, and trained lawyer. A committed activist, she has dedicated much of her career to promoting maternal health, education, and social justice for African-American communities. She is also known for her involvement in visually powerful social projects, such as Gotham Diaries, Monster (adapted from the novel by Walter Dean Myers), and the documentary series Aftershock (2022), which alerts about the maternal mortality crisis among black women in the United States. She has been married to Spike Lee since 1993.
Shelton Jackson “Spike” Lee, born in 1957 in Atlanta, is one of the most influential directors in contemporary cinema. Winner of an Honorary Oscar in 2015, he also received the Best Adapted Screenplay Oscar in 2019 for his film BlacKkKlansman. For over three decades, Spike Lee has been known for a committed works, denouncing racial injustices, police violence, and social inequalities. Cult films like Do the Right Thing, Malcolm X, He Got Game or Da 5 Bloods testify to his desire to tell, through an artistic prism, the history of Blacks in the United States and their African heritage.
Benin, a land of memory and welcome
The Beninese Ministry of Foreign Affairs emphasizes that this appointment continues the momentum of the digital platform www.myafroorigins.bj, launched to allow descendants of the African diaspora to access Beninese nationality. It also serves as proof of Benin’s commitment to heal the wounds of the past and pave a path towards a new collective emancipation.