Spike Lee is, in a word, a legend. From the moment that “Do The Right Thing” hit the theaters, his incendiary brand of filmmaking presented a raw, unflinching look at Black life in America. And though many, at the time, weren’t ready to receive his message, Spike Lee (born Shelton Jackson Lee) has proven to be a visionary and a pioneer. And his style of filmmaking has even made him an in-demand professor of the genre. As AfroTech previously reported, he initially taught courses at Harvard before moving on to New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts (his alma mater , where he ultimately received an MFA), ultimately becoming the school’s artistic director in 2002. Beyond his role as an Oscar-winning filmmaker and a tenured professor, Spike Lee is also a devoted husband and father. His wife of nearly 30 years — the director, activist, and Movita Organics CEO Tonya Lewis Lee — share two children, who are now “all grown up” and making their own way in the industry. They are...

Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) are responsible for some of the nation’s most renowned doctors, teachers, entrepreneurs, political and religious leaders, plus more. And to be honest, we truly don’t know what a world without institutions that aid the rich knowledge and success of our people would look like (we’re glad we don’t even have to imagine it)! AfroTech has decided to take this time to raise awareness of those HBCUs by spotlighting some familiar faces who are products of those pristine institutions.