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Benin has named acclaimed American filmmaker Spike Lee and his wife, producer and author Tonya Lewis Lee, as thematic ambassadors to African-Americans in the United States. The couple will support initiatives aimed at strengthening ties between Benin and people of African descent around the world.
Their appointment was formalized during a recent visit to Cotonou, the capital, according to French public broadcaster RFI. The government hopes the move will raise awareness of Benin’s cultural and historical significance, particularly its legacy in the transatlantic slave trade, and promote cultural tourism.
“This is about reconnecting people of African descent to their historical, cultural, and spiritual roots,” the government said in a statement.
Benin has launched a series of initiatives to encourage descendants of enslaved Africans to reclaim their heritage. In 2023, the country passed a law offering citizenship to individuals with ancestral ties to those taken from Africa during the slave trade. It also recently launched a dedicated website to process applications for nationality.
Tonya Lewis Lee is among the hundreds who applied for citizenship, receiving a favorable response. She previously visited Benin in 2023.
The move is reminiscent of Ghana’s 2019 “Year of Return”, which invited people of African heritage to reconnect with the continent through travel, investment, and citizenship.
Spike Lee, who has long been a vocal advocate for civil rights, has said that DNA testing traced his father’s lineage to Cameroon and his mother’s to Sierra Leone. Tonya Lewis Lee’s ancestral background has not been publicly disclosed.
Benin praised the couple for their “long-standing commitment to justice, their exceptional creativity, and global influence,” saying they have “profoundly shaped the contemporary narrative of the African diaspora.” While the Lees have not yet commented publicly on their appointment, the announcement has been positively received by many in Benin.
“It’s a strong cultural message — great publicity for Benin,” said Prospère Yehoume, a 27-year-old architecture student.
Marketing executive Carlos Biogbé believes the appointment could attract filmmakers and investors to the country. However, some questioned why celebrated Beninese-American actor Djimon Hounsou was not chosen for a similar role.
Benin’s coastal region was once part of the infamous Slave Coast, a major hub in the transatlantic slave trade. From 1580 to 1727, the Kingdom of Whydah, located in present-day Benin, is estimated to have exported over one million Africans to the Americas — including the US, the Caribbean, and Brazil.
The country now hopes to turn a painful history into a platform for reconnection, healing, and global engagement with the African diaspora.
