Spike Lee: The Photo That Influenced Me Most

1 minute read
A white teenager, Joseph Rakes, is seen about to assault black lawyer and civil-rights activist Ted Landsmark with a flagpole bearing the American flag in Boston, April 5, 1976.
A white teenager, Joseph Rakes, is seen about to assault black lawyer and civil-rights activist Ted Landsmark with a flagpole bearing the American flag in Boston, April 5, 1976.Stanley Forman
By Spike Lee

To celebrate the launch of TIME’s new multimedia project – 100 Photographs: The Most Influential Images of All Time – we asked leaders in a number of fields, from technology to the arts to business, to share the single photograph that most influenced their lives. Purchase the 100 Photographs book now.

The picture says it all.

Spike Lee is an acclaimed film director, producer, writer and actor.

A white teenager, Joseph Rakes, is seen about to assault black lawyer and civil-rights activist Ted Landsmark with a flagpole bearing the American flag in Boston, April 5, 1976.
A white teenager, Joseph Rakes, is seen about to assault black lawyer and civil-rights activist Ted Landsmark with a flagpole bearing the American flag in Boston, April 5, 1976.Stanley Forman

More Must-Reads from TIME

Contact us at letters@time.com