Legendary actor Morgan Freeman explained how Black History Month and the term “African-American” are insults to black people in a rare interview.
During an interview with the Times in London, Freeman expounded on his views about race.
“Two things I can say publicly that I do not like: Black History Month is an insult,” Freeman declared. “You’re going to relegate my history to a month?”
The “Shawshank Redemption” actor added that the term “African-American” is an “insult.”
“I don’t subscribe to that title,” he said. “Black people have had different titles all the way back to the N-word, and I do not know how these things get such a grip, but everyone uses ‘African-American.’ What does it really mean?”
He said black people come from a variety of countries across the world and not just the continent of Africa. He reasoned that Irish-Americans and Italian-Americans are not called Euro-Americans.
Speaking of current society, “Generationally, though, I do think we’re moving ahead in leaps and bounds.”
“The change is that all people are involved now,” Freeman stated. “Everyone. LGBTQ, Asians, black, white, interracial marriages, interracial relationships. All represented. You see them all on screen now and that is a huge jump.”
Morgan made similar comments about Black History Month in a classic “60 Minutes” interview from 2005. Host Mike Wallace asked Freeman about his thoughts on Black History Month. Freeman quickly shot back, “Ridiculous.”
The 85-year-old Hollywood actor questioned, “You`re going to relegate my history to a month?”
Freeman queried why there isn’t a White History Month or a Jewish History Month, then asked Wallace if he wanted those as special months. Wallace replied, “No, no.”
Freeman rebutted, “I don’t either. I don’t want a Black History Month. Black history is American history.”
Wallace then said, ” How are we going to get rid of racism until …?”
A frustrated Freeman fired back, “Stop talking about it.”
“I’m going to stop calling you a white man. And I’m going to ask you to stop calling me a black man,” he explained. “I know you as Mike Wallace. You know me as Morgan Freeman. You’re not going to say, ‘I know this white guy named Mike Wallace.’ Hear what I’m saying?”
“Black history” is Canadian history. We don’t need a #BlackHistoryMonth for it.
(Morgan Freeman and Mike Wallace on 60 Minutes) pic.twitter.com/zLykaUgP3G
— Maxime Bernier (@MaximeBernier) February 27, 2023
Freeman has not been shy to discuss race and is willing to give his honest opinion on the hot-button topic.
Freeman silenced CNN anchor Don Lemon regarding a question about race in 2014.
Lemon asked Freeman, “Do you think that race plays a part in wealth distribution today?”
Freeman fired back, “No, I don’t. You and I, we’re proof. Why would race have anything to do with it? Put your mind to what you want to do and go for that,” Freeman advised. “It’s kind of like religion to me, it’s a good excuse for not getting there.”
Lemon claimed that he was “tired” of having to talk about race every day “because it’s in the news cycle.”
Freeman replied, “If you talk about it, it exists.” He added, “But making it a bigger issue than it needs to be is the problem here.”
Wallace is far more racist than Freeman ever dreamed of being. Wallace is a race baiter.
I wonder if FREE MAN was a stage name that Morgan Freeman chose.