Since taking office in 2016, Benin’s president, Patrice Talon, has made memorial policy a key driver for cultural and economic development. As part of this strategy, the Council of Ministers announced on Wednesday, July 23, the appointment of American filmmaker Spike Lee and his wife, Tonya Lewis Lee – a producer and attorney – as “thematic ambassadors [of the Republic of Benin], raising awareness and supporting initiatives to promote Benin’s ties with people of African descent.”
The Beninese government stated that, through their actions, the couple has “profoundly shaped the contemporary narrative of the African diaspora.” As part of their mission, the Lees will “raise awareness, foster dialogue, and support initiatives promoting cultural reconnection and the duty of remembrance,” the government added.
Influential within the African-American community, the couple, married since 1993, is known for their advocacy for social justice and civil rights. From Malcolm X (1992) to BlacKkKlansman (2018), Spike Lee has directed and produced several films addressing Black identity and inequality. He has also traced his family origins to Cameroon and Sierra Leone. Tonya Lewis Lee, for her part, produced the documentary She Runs the World (2025), about athlete Allyson Felix’s fight for the protection of mothers in sports. The producer, who visited Benin in 2024, also applied for Beninese citizenship, according to Radio France Internationale (RFI).
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