Summary
Tonya Linnette Lee (née Lewis; March 30, 1966) is an American film and television producer, author, entrepreneur, and advocate for women and infant health. She founded her production company, Madstone Company Inc., in 1998,[1] and has been involved in media for children, through her work with Nickelodeon and her authorship of children's books.[2]
Tonya Lewis Lee | |
|---|---|
| Born | Tonya Linnette Lewis March 30, 1966 |
| Alma mater | Sarah Lawrence College (BA) University of Virginia School of Law (JD) |
| Occupation(s) | Attorney, filmmaker, author |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 2 |
| Parent(s) | Lillian Glenn George Lewis |
Life edit
Lewis Lee was born in Yonkers, New York, to Lillian Charlotte (née Glenn) and George Ralph Lewis. Her father held a corporate executive position at Philip Morris.[3] She graduated from Sarah Lawrence College with a BA and the University of Virginia School of Law with a JD. After practicing law at Nixon, Hargrave, Devans & Doyle LLP in Washington, D.C. for nearly two years, she returned to New York and married Spike Lee in 1993. They have two children.[4]
Career edit
Film and television edit
Lewis Lee has been producing content for television and film for nearly 20 years. She began her career producing interstitial programming for Nickelodeon. She went on to produce larger projects for them, ultimately producing the miniseries Miracle’s Boys for the network along with the documentary, I Sit Where I Want, commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Brown v. Board of Education decision.[5]
In 2014, Lewis Lee co-founded the production company ToniK Productions with Nikki Silver.[6] Since its founding, ToniK has produced several projects including The Watsons Go To Birmingham[7] which Lewis Lee wrote, The Giver, She's Gotta Have It and MONSTER.[8]
Writer edit
Lewis Lee is the author of three children's books, Please Baby Please, Please Puppy Please,[9] and Giant Steps to Change the World.[10] She is also the co-author of the New York Times bestselling Gotham Diaries[11] and the writer of the script, "The Watsons Go to Birmingham."[citation needed]
Advocacy edit
Lewis Lee also served as the spokesperson for A Healthy Baby Begins With You[12] an infant mortality awareness raising campaign out of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Minority Health from 2007 to 2013. Through the campaign she traveled the US speaking on issues of women's health for the sake of their unborn children. She also produced the documentary film Crisis in the Crib: Saving Our Nation's Babies.[13] Her work with this campaign inspired her to found Healthy You Now,[14] a web platform for women's health.
In 2015 she founded Movita, an organic vitamin company that is sold through e-commerce.[12]
Filmography edit
Film edit
Television series edit
- I Sit Where I Want: The Legacy of Brown v. the Board of Education
- Miracle's Boys
- That's What I'm Talking About
- Crisis in the Crib: Saving Our Nations Babies
- She's Gotta Have It
Books edit
- Please Baby Please
- Please Puppy Please[15]
- Giant Steps to Change the World
- Gotham Diaries
Products edit
- Movita Organics[16]
References edit
- ^ "Madstone Films: Private Company Information - Bloomberg". www.bloomberg.com.
- ^ Tillet, Salamishah (November 17, 2017). "A New 'She's Gotta Have It': Spike Lee's Feminist Breakthrough". The New York Times.
- ^ Levy, Ariel (August 11, 2006). "Spike Lee: The Angriest Auteur -- New York Magazine - Nymag". New York Magazine. Retrieved December 12, 2021.
- ^ Keegan, Kayla (March 1, 2021). "Spike Lee and Tonya Lewis Lee Have Accomplished So Much Over Their 27-Year Marriage". Good Housekeeping. Retrieved December 12, 2021.
- ^ "Filmmaker Tonya Lewis Lee Talks Black Female Health - EBONY". www.ebony.com. November 24, 2016.
- ^ Pliska, Jessica. "These Women Show You How To Make Movies With Meaning". Forbes.
- ^ "'Gallagher Girls' Book Series Optioned by Producers Tonya Lewis Lee and Nikki Silver (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. July 31, 2013.
- ^ Productions, ToniK. "Tonya Lewis Lee And Nikki Silver's ToniK Productions' Film "MONSTER" To Premiere At 2018 Sundance Film Festival". www.prnewswire.com (Press release).
- ^ "This holiday season boasts a range of toys and books for black kids". NBC News. December 18, 2016.
- ^ Russell, Mary Harris (January 14, 2011). ""Giant Steps to Change the World" by Spike Lee & Tonya Lewis Lee". Chicago Tribune.
- ^ "'Gotham Diaries': Gossip of a City's Black Elite". NPR.org.
- ^ a b Terrell, Dontaira (March 6, 2017). "How Tonya Lewis Lee Is Helping Women Achieve Their Best Health". HuffPost.
- ^ "Filmmaker Tonya Lewis Lee Talks Black Female Health - EBONY". www.ebony.com. November 24, 2016.
- ^ Rothkranz, Lindzy (February 13, 2015). "Tonya Lewis Lee, Spike's Wife: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know".
- ^ "Black schoolgirl starts campaign to find 1,000 books with black girl leads". Independent.co.uk. January 28, 2016.
- ^ "Tonya Lewis Lee Launches Movita – Premiere Multivitamin for Women".