“BlacKkKlansman” director Spike Lee labeled famed explorer Christopher Columbus a “terrorist” during an interview Wednesday while also urging the United States to be truthful about the country’s past.
The Oscar nominee was a guest on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” when he made the comments after being asked what he thought about the state of race in America.
“Well I just think that what we’ve seen, it’s evident to me that this stuff has never gone away,” Lee said, before explaining his attire for the interview.
Lee was wearing a black hat and a hooded sweatshirt, both emblazoned with “1619,” the year which he said “the first slaves were brought to this country, Jamestown, Virginia.
“I think that a lot of people need to know this. Because this is part of American history, which is not all good,” Lee said. “You know, I think that when I was in public school in Brooklyn, New York, I was not told George Washington owned slaves. I was told that he chopped down the cherry tree and wouldn’t tell a lie. In 1492, this guy, this terrorist sailed the ocean blue.- READ MORE