Seminar: Do the Right Thing
This seminar will explore the complex aesthetic, cultural, and sociopolitical significance of Spike Lee’s 1989 film Do the Right Thing.
Set during the hottest day of the year in Brooklyn’s Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood, Lee’s third feature film depicts a cast of vibrant, iconic characters negotiating heightened racial anxieties that remain relevant more than 20 years later. Lee is celebrated as a cultural pioneer and received an Oscar nomination for Best Original Screenplay, but Do the Right Thing is also lauded for its bold cinematography and evocative film score. Join Amherst College Assistant Professor Aneeka Henderson for this one-night seminar critically examining Lee’s landmark film.
About the Speaker
Aneeka A. Henderson is an Assistant Professor at Amherst College in the Sexuality, Women’s and Gender Studies Department, with affiliations in the English, Black Studies, and Film and Media Studies Departments. She is a 2017-2018 AAUW American Postdoctoral Fellow and her research is also supported by a 2017 Woodrow Wilson National Foundation Career Enhancement Fellowship. At Amherst College, she teaches a wide range of courses exploring a mosaic of African American literature, art, music, and film and her classes have been featured in Elle magazine as well as The New York Times.
About Coolidge Education Seminars
Want to learn more about some of your favorite classic films? Coolidge Education is excited to introduce new one-night seminars at select Big Screen Classics events. Attendees can sign up to hear a 30 minute lecture before the film from an expert, and then stick around after the screening for a 45 minute moderated discussion with other seminar attendees. Tickets are $25 ($22 for Coolidge members and students) and include a reserved seat for the film screening.
