LOVE JONES
This iconic duo starred as the Black creatives navigating love, identity, and ambition in the film Love Jones.
Who are Larenz Tate and Nia Long.
This Spike Lee film examines community, responsibility, and social tension.
What is "Do the Right Thing"?
This film follows four friends navigating love, friendship, and personal growth.
Waiting to Exhale
An injured all‑star finds someone who sees the person, not just the player.
What is Just Wright?
Brownstones, galleries, and historic Black culture in this NYC neighborhood.
Harlem
Nina and Darius first connect in this creative community space.
What is a poetry / spoken word event?
This film explores love, music, and ambition through the lens of a jazz musician.
What is "Mo’ Better Blues"?
In How Stella Got Her Groove Back, Stella’s trip helps her remember to focus her love on this important person first.
Who is herself? (or What is self‑love?)
Two best friends debate “what is hip‑hop?”—then finally admit what’s obvious.
What is Brown Sugar?
Streetcars, second lines, and jazz clubs shape the mood of this Southern city.
New Orleans
This U.S. city serves as the backdrop for the film.
What is Chicago?
This Spike Lee film addresses beauty standards and identity within the Black community.
What is "School Daze"?
Married for 56 years and civil‑rights icons, this duo acted together on stage and screen.
Ossie Davis & Ruby Dee
A keepsake image from decades past unlocks a family love story.
The Photograph
From rec centers to film lots, this West Coast city frames many Black love stories.
Los Angeles
A core theme of the movie is balancing relationships with this value.
What is Independence?
This longtime collaborator composed jazz‑inflected scores for many of Lee's films.
Terence Blanchard
This powerhouse pair married in 1997; she’s an Oscar winner and TV star, he’s a Tony/Emmy winner.
Who are Angela Bassett & Courtney B. Vance
A late‑night one‑on‑one game becomes a turning point for a couple.
What is Love & Basketball
A modern hub of Black film, TV, and music production in the Southeast.
Atlanta
Love Jones is often praised for portraying Black love without centering this trope.
What is trauma/struggle?
This is a recurring theme across Spike Lee’s work.
What is Identity, community, or social justice?
In this 2002 romantic comedy, hip‑hop heads and lifelong best friends discover the romance hiding in plain sight.
What is Brown Sugar
A jazz club, a summer dress, and a love that chooses tenderness over spectacle.
Sylvie’s Love
What was the first HBCU?
The first Historically Black College or University (HBCU) is Cheyney University of Pennsylvania.