October 1992Photograph By Frank Ockenfels 3
Spike Lee’s magnum opus, the 1992 biopic Malcolm X, made him a fitting choice for our cover, which Lee loved. What he didn’t like was the headline that accompanied the story inside, “Spike Lee Hates Your Cracker Ass.” Esquire editor Terry McDonell apologized to Lee and called it one of the biggest mistakes of his career.