Radio Raheem's explanation of the "LOVE" and "HATE" rings he wears in the film is an homage to the speech that the fictional Reverend Harry Powell gave in “The Night of the Hunter” (1955). Robert Mitchum's preacher character has tattoos on his hands that say "LOVE" and "HATE."
At director Spike Lee’s 25th anniversary celebration for the film, then President Barack Obama explained in a video message that he and First Lady Michelle Obama saw the movie on their first date, in 1989.
This film was inspired by a racially charged attack in New York City now known as the Howard Beach incident. In December 1986, after leaving a pizzeria, three black men were confronted and severely beaten by a large group of white men in New York City's Howard Beach.