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Photos: Spike Lee Unveils Do The Right Thing Way On Michael Jackson's Birthday
By
Scott Lynch
Published Aug 30, 2015
Modified Aug 30, 2015
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Scott Lynch/Gothamist
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By
Scott Lynch
Published Aug 30, 2015
Modified Aug 30, 2015
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Yesterday was Michael Jackson's birthday—he would have been 57—and reason enough for Spike Lee to throw a huge block party in the heart of Bed-Stuy. But the movie-maker, Knicks fan, and soon-to-be honorary Oscar-winner had something else to celebrate as well: the city-sanctioned unveiling of Do The Right Thing Way, on Stuyvesant Avenue between Lexington and Quincy Streets, the block on which Lee filmed much of his landmark movie more than a quarter century ago.
This is the first time the city has renamed (really, co-named) a street after a movie or any other work of art, and according to Lee it took almost a whole year of wrangling by Councilman Robert Cornegy Jr. to get the addition approved.
The hundreds of locals who packed the block on a warm and sunny Saturday were happy for Lee and their new neighborhood street sign, but it was the King of Pop who supplied the entertainment. That included a three hour playlist of his songs prior to the unveiling, a marathon listening and dance party that, among other things, once and for all confirmed that the best Michael Jackson song is "The Way You Make Me Feel."
Many of the revelers showed up dressed in some sort of homage to Jackson, and there was plenty of dancing a la "Thriller" and "Beat It" and "Billie Jean." And then right after the sheath was pulled off from the sign revealing the Do the Right Thing Way sign, Public Enemy's "Fight the Power," which ran over the opening credits of Lee's 1989 movie, came blasting out over the block, and the crowd went nuts.
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Scott Lynch
Photojournalist, food writer, preschool receptionist. Love NYC.
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