Spike Lee to Headline PA's 20th Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day Tribute

Groundbreaking filmmaker will address All-School Meeting on January 18

December 21, 2009 --Writer, director, actor, producer, author and educator, Spike Lee will help mark the 20th anniversary of Phillips Academy's Martin Luther King Jr. Day Tribute on Monday, Jan. 18, when he serves as the keynote speaker at All-School Meeting. Lee's address will highlight a full day of special activities that include approximately 15 workshops and community service projects throughout campus and surrounding communities.

"No other African-American filmmaker has had the impact on American cinema that Spike Lee has," said Linda Carter Griffith, dean of Phillips Academy's Office of Community and Multicultural Development. "There was no better candidate for the 20th anniversary celebration given the mark he has made on American history."

Lee has directed a large number of critically acclaimed and box office hits including "Do the Right Thing," "Jungle Fever," "She's Gotta Have It," "Malcolm X," "4 Little Girls" and, most recently, "Miracle at St. Ana's." His documentary "When the Levees Broke" about Hurricane Katrina has been shown to PA students for the last three MLK Jr. Day tributes.

This year, the Class of 2012 will watch "Malcolm X," while the Class of 2011 will watch his satire "Bamboozled," which portrays a washed-up television producer's attempt to revive minstrel shows in order to boost his own career. After Lee's All-School Meeting address, he will participate in a Q-and-A with the 11th graders about Bamboozled.

In addition to Lee's visit, students will participate in a variety of activities that inspire the spirit and mission of Dr. King, including a presentation by CAMD scholar Bijan Torabi '10 on "Cultural Capital at PA and at Large"; a one-man performance of "Igcognito" by actor Michael Fosberg, who discovered as an adult the truth about his biological father 's identity; and a service project at the Cor Unum Meal Center in Lawrence, Mass., where students will serve patrons dinner.

 Lee's visit to campus is sponsored by the Palitz Lectureship.