DO THE RIGHT THING (AGAIN)

BY: Georgia Davis

Art often imitates life. It also provides a snapshot of what life was like when the work was created. But, in the case of Spike Lee’s Do The Right Thing, he finds that the Oscar-nominated film represents the present, 30 years after its original release.

In the new short film 3 Brothers, Spike Lee weaves in graphic footage of Eric Garner’s and George Floyd’s murders with Radio Raheem’s death in Do The Right Thing. Eric Garner and George Floyd died at the hands of New York City and Minneapolis police officers. Both victims were forced into chokeholds and with knees to their necks. Both black men called out “I can’t breathe” numerous times while the white officers and their colleagues looked on. Radio Raheem dies in an all-too-similar way in the 1989 movie.

In this short, Spike Lee uses the power of storytelling to highlight the injustices that permeate America’s systemic racism. Even though the Declaration of Independence claimed that “all men are created equal” it didn’t pertain to women, children and people of color. Equality is a concept fought over for years and the struggle continues.

Riots and the fire at Sal’s follow Radio Raheem’s death in Do The Right Thing.

Right now, people are protesting police brutality. Some of those marches have turned into riots, the burning of buildings and looting. But it’s important not to lose sight of the problem: racism. It’s all about framing. Instead of saying, “It’s horrible that a black man was killed by a police officer, but the rioting and looting has to stop,” think of it this way: “It’s horrible that people are rioting and looting, but killing black people at the hands of police has to stop.” And ask yourself the question Spike Lee poses at the beginning of the film: “Will history stop repeating itself?”