In the school scene, Mr. Lockhart is reading "Kindred" by Octavia Butler, a book about an African-American woman who travels back in time to pre-Civil War America and has to deal with the injustice and oppression of slavery.
Mr Lockhart is played by Michael J. Fox, best known as Marty McFly in the Back to the Future (1985) trilogy. After the kids have left the classroom for summer break, Mr. Lockhart says "Time travel? Great Scott!", a phrase often spoken in the trilogy by Emmett "Doc" Brown, played by Christopher Lloyd.
Inside the garage, a picture of an African American woman is hanging on the wall. This is Marie Van Brittan Brown, who was the inventor of the first home security system and is also credited with the invention of the first closed circuit television. She was born in Queens, New York, in 1922 and lived in that borough until her death in 1999.
When Netflix executives wouldn't respond to Stefon Bristol about producing this film, Spike Lee went to Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos and asked him to make this film. He said yes.
Michael J. Fox's final acting role in a motion picture as well as one of his final live action appearances (not counting documentaries and public appearances) before his retirement in 2020.