BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. — Spike Lee says the Rev. Jesse Jackson’s crudely phrased criticism of Barack Obama won’t affect the Democrat’s campaign, which the filmmaker expects to succeed at bringing “seismic” change to the world.
“I don’t think his (Jackson’s) comments help anybody. It’s just unfortunate,” Lee said after taking part in a Television Critics Association panel.
Asked if there was any validity to the criticism of Obama, Lee replied: “No. Here’s the thing: I don’t know why people are questioning whether Barack Obama is black enough. For me, that’s an ignorant statement. There are middle-class, educated black people who speak the way he does. . . . We have to try to move away from this so-called image of what black is, which is largely influenced by rap and that type of stuff.”
