Solidarity in Spike Lee's "BlacKKKlansman" and "Do the Right Thing"
BlacKKKlansman and Do the Right Thing both center around black characters operating within white institutions: Ron Stallworth in the Colorado Springs Police Department and Mookie in Sal's Pizzeria respectively. Although these institutions operate on completely different scales, there are some similarities between the conflicts the men within them face. Ultimately, the two must choose between solidarity with the black community or allegiance to the white institutions they work for. Through his films, Spike Lee highlights the importance of black individuals choosing to fight for and with their communities, because ultimately their places of work will not stand with them. In BlacKKKlansman , Ron is torn between his black identity/pride and his position as a cop. These two identities are inherently at odds as shown in the scene that introduces Ron as he interviews to be the first black police officer in the CSPD. He is ...