Words with Spike Lee

Q. Why was making this movie so important to you?

A. Well, Malcolm is very important to me, and the reality is that young people -- not just black but white kids also -- don't read anymore. They get their information from movies, television, radio. So this is going to be a history lesson. This is going to open up the history book.

Q. Malcolm is revered by many young African Americans. Why is that?

A. I think that Ossie Davis put it best when he said, "Malcolm is our shining black prince, our black manhood." There's a void in that...