Awards season is in full swing and the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA) is ready to kick things off for the year, as they typically do among the major awards ceremonies.
Satchel and Jackson Lee, the children of three-time Golden Globe nominee Spike Lee and producer Tonya Lewis Lee, have been named the 2021 Golden Globe Ambassadors, per a press release sent to The Root. Previously known as Miss Golden Globe or Mister Golden Globe, the designation is typically given to children of highly respected actors, directors or producers in the industry. In 2017, the HFPA decided to change the title’s name to best reflect the role.
More from the press release:
For the philanthropic efforts associated with the title of Golden Globe Ambassador, Satchel will focus her efforts on the issue of expanding healthcare for LGBTQIA+ communities, and Jackson on youth mentorship in underserved communities. Satchel chose to partner with Callen-Lorde, an organization that has transformed the lives of LGBTQIA+ communities in New York City through comprehensive, judgement-free care, research, and education. Jackson has chosen to support Big Brothers Big Sisters, the nation’s largest donor- and volunteer-supported mentoring network. Both organizations will receive a grant from the HFPA for $25,000, totaling $50,000 made on the Lees’ behalf.
“We’re proud to welcome Satchel and Jackson Lee to an incredible roster of previous Golden Globe Ambassadors,” Ali Sar, President of the HFPA said in a statement. “Akin to their esteemed filmmaker father known for his uncompromising and provocative storytelling, Satchel and Jackson have already begun to blaze their own paths in the arts. We are honored to see how they’ll use this platform to elevate the important issues of LGBTQIA+ health and youth mentorship.”
The Root sat down for a quick phone interview with 26-year-old Satchel and 24-year-old Jackson, who are each very honored to receive the designation and be in a position to further champion and support the organizations they’re passionate about. Satchel, who was the creative director of DRØME, a queer and intersectional arts and culture magazine and Jackson, who recently designed a pair of shoes in collaboration with Nike spoke on the importance of Black representation in this industry, including all of the intersections within.
“I think the way that we move forward in the media is just by putting people in the room who have experiences that might be different from the majority,” Satchel told The Root. “You can’t produce what you don’t know. So if you want to have more Black voices in the entertainment industry, then you need to have more Black people in the entertainment industry. It’s pretty much that simple.”
“Growing up with my father being a mentor, it really showed me the power and privilege it brings you to be able to show someone younger than you the way to navigate their professional career, [And] not only that, also to [guide their] personal life and just [give advice for] life, in general. [...] Somebody may decide to do something similar to what I’m doing. It’s just an honor. I think it’s also my duty,” Jackson told The Root.
The Lee daughter-and-son duo will take over for Isan Elba, the daughter of actor-filmmaker Idris Elba and makeup artist and businesswoman Kim Elba, who was named Golden Globe Ambassador in 2019.
The 78th Annual Golden Globe Awards will air live coast-to-coast on NBC on Sunday, Feb. 28 at 8:00 p.m. ET/5:00 p.m. PT.