Bernie Sanders may be having trouble earning black voters' support, but director Spike Lee has officially endorsed the Democratic presidential candidate.
More than lending his approval, Lee went one step further and voiced a South Carolina radio ad supporting Sanders.
"Wake up, South Carolina! This is your dude, Spike Lee, and I know you that know this system is rigged," Lee says in the 60-second spot. "For too long, we've given our votes to puppets, sold the okie-doke. Ninety-nine percent of Americans were hurt by the Great Recession of 2008, and many are still recovering.”
He continues, "And that's why I'm officially endorsing my brother Bernie Sanders."
Citing his 1989 film Do the Right Thing, Lee uses exactly those words to describe how Sanders will act once he's elected president because "he's not on the take."
Lee also mentions Sanders' involvement with the March on Washington, and his arrest for protesting segregation in Chicago public schools, as reasons why people should vote for him.
"Enough talk, time for action," Lee concludes.
The ad appears days before the Democratic primary in South Carolina on Saturday. Advance polling numbers show Sanders trailing former secretary of state Hillary Clinton when it comes to black votes. Clinton currently carries 65 percent of that demographic compared to Sanders' 28 percent, CNN reported.
That difference may be why Sanders criticized Clinton's relationship with U.S. President Barack Obama in an interview with BET, insinuating that the she was pandering to black voters.
Other prominent black celebrities and officials have also expressed their support for Sanders. The candidate has been endorsed by actor Danny Glover, singer Harry Belafonte, and former NAACP president Ben Jealous, according to The Hill.
