Spike Lee and The Harlem Renaissance

The artistic movement of the Harlem Renaissance had a profound influence on Spike Lee and his films.  Several of his films include many themes common to the Harlem Renaissance.  The development of black art during the Harlem Renaissance left a legacy and was a starting point for future filmmakers in the Black Arts Movement, including Spike Lee.

Racial Consciousness and racial pride was an important theme of the Harlem Renaissance, and is a common theme in all of Spike Lee's films such as Bamboozled and Do The Right Thing.

Lee includes a scene in Do The Right Thing that expresses pride for the African American race, as well as communicating several common stereotypes that were first challenged and expressed by artists during the Harlem Renaissance.   

 

The fact that Lee created his own production company, Forty Acres and  Mule, in order to have complete artistic control of his expression is exemplary of the developments of the Harlem Renaissance.  Lee tends to lean towards the cultural separatism in order to convey realism and uniqueness of the culture.  This can be seen in School Daze when the girls argue about good and bad hair.  Lee uses this scene to express black identity.