Spike Lee was quoted in the Los Angeles Times as saying that blacks should skip school or work to watch his new movie about Malcolm X, due to open up in November. Lee told the Times, "we're telling them that they've got to turn out to support this film and support Malcolm X. It's not Hollywood, this ain't Walt Disney. This is about the state of race relations in the world."

Lee added, "skipping school for the opening is okay because the film presents the American history that students are not getting in school. If they go see the film and write a report about what they've seen, the teachers can't hold that against them."

Attallah Shabazz, Malcolm X's daughter, responded, "I do not request nor do I think my father would want you to play hooky... Stay in school and learn. Stay at your job and feed your family."

[Ed.: Mr. Lee later admitted he converted to Islam while filming the movie in order to get film footage in Mecca, the sacred city open only to Muslims.]

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