Celebrated Director Spike Lee was presented the Honorary Award at the 2015 Governors Awards held at the Ray Dolby Ballroom at Hollywood & Highland Center on Nov. 14. Lee took advantage of the unlimited time he was given to speak in front of the crowd of 500 attendees to thank everyone who supported him in his career and seriously discuss the issue on the lack of diversity in Hollywood.
Re-elected president of the Academy, Cheryl Boone Isaacs started off the night by honoring the lives lost during the Paris Attacks on Nov. 13 before getting on to business by introducing the Academy's A2020 plan to the attendees. The A2020 is the organization's five-year plan that aims to increase diversity in the film industry both in front of and behind the camera.
In his speech, Lee recounted the events that led him to become a filmmaker and the challenges he had to face in spite of winning the Student Academy Award for his thesis "Joe's Bed-Stuy Barbershop: We Cut Heads" back in 1983.
"I knew that story about working your way up from the middle doesn't work for black people," he told the audience. He also said he realized that there was no such thing as an overnight success.
Likewise, Lee commented that it's easier for a black person to be the president of the United States than the head of a studio, saying that the only black person he encounters in offices stay the security gate and checks his name in the list. Considering that in 2012, the U.S. Census Bureau estimates that whites will be a minority in the country. Lee called for the country to reflect its population.
"I want to commend Academy president Cheryl Boone Isaacs because she is trying to do something that needs to be done... we need to have a serious conversation about diversity and get some flavor up in this... So President [Isaacs], keep it going, I know it's tough," Lee said towards the closing of his speech.
"[The Honorary Award is] given for extraordinary lifetime achievement, exceptional contributions to the motion picture arts and sciences, or outstanding service to the Academy," the Oscars website describes.
Watch the full speech below.
Be sure to follow T-Lounge on Twitter and visit our Facebook page.
