The film director tells Guinevere 'I always knew who I am,' Lee tells her. 'Now I know more'.Spike Lee explored his roots on the TV documentary 'Who Do You Think You Are?'
Lee then investigates his slave ancestors, discovering that he could be a descendant of a slave owner. And meets Guinevere, a white woman a cousin twice removed
The acclaimed black film director Spike Lee has found out he has a white cousin.
Lee was taking part in the U.S. version of the genealogy documentary series 'Who Do You Think You Are?' when he made the discovery.
Lee, who made Do The Right Thing, Malcom X and She's Gotta Have It traced back his ancestry in Atlanta, Georgia, confronting a number of issues including slavery and meeting a new relative.
His first stop was at the Dublin library at the Atlanta University Center, where he met archivist Melvin Collier.
The director wanted to get information about his great great grandmother Lucinda Jackson, who was born into slavery and died in 1934.
Mr Collier helped him find a newspaper obituary for Jackson that named her three sons but not Lucinda's husband.
He later found out that his name was Mars.
In Lee's debut movie, 'She's Gotta Have It' he named his character Mars, inspired by his grandmother, who he remembers described his grandfather as 'crazy'.
Lee noted that Mars in the movie was also crazy.
The 53-year-old director then visited the Georgia archives in Atlanta to find out more information on Mars, who he knew as a man born as a slave.
Lee discovered that they were using the surname Woodall in the 1880 census, and that he changed his name to Jackson later.
An archivist explained to Lee that it could have been possible that his family may have been owned by slave owner James Woodall.
Lee then finds out that his great great grandfather Mars owned 80 acres of land after he was freed of slavery.
He visits the land and buries a necklace with the name 'Mars' written on it, that Lee wore in 'She's Gotta Have It' as a tribute.
'To go from a slave to a land owner?
'Now I know where my family gets that entrepreneurial spirit!' Lee exclaims as he proudly stands on his great-great-grandfather's land.
Lee then investigates his slave ancestors, discovering that he could be a descendant of a slave owner.
He then meets Guinevere, a white woman who he didn't expect to find.
He finds out that they are related as cousins, twice removed.
'I always knew who I am,' Lee tells her. 'Now I know more.'
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