Source: Variety / Getty
For many, the recognition of Black History Month is an occasion that’s both highly-regarded and celebrated amongst our people. For award-winning A-list actor Morgan Freeman, the term is nothing more than racial pandering.
Take a look at a clip below from his
now-infamous 2005 interview with 60 Minutes where he adamantly states his distaste for the use of “Black History Month” and its cultural commemoration:
The clip has been making its way back in the social sphere recently following Freeman’s latest hot take, which aimed to not only double down on his previous criticisms but also add the label “African American” to the mix as well.
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While speaking with
The Sunday Times, the
Million Dollar Baby actor was quoted as stating, “Black History Month is an insult. You’re going to relegate my history to a month?” In regards to the phrase ‘African American,’ he went on to add, “Also, ‘African-American’ is an insult. I don’t subscribe to that title. 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? Most Black people in this part of the world are mongrels. And you say Africa as if it’s a country when it’s a continent, like Europe.”
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It’s worth noting that Freeman’s ideologies are in no way anti-Black. In all actuality, he told fellow UK outlet
The Guardian back in 2012 that he prefers the word ‘Black’ when it comes to describing us, stating, “I hate the phrase ‘African American because ‘Black’ is beautiful. One syllable versus seven.” This opinion is one the 85-year-old Hollywood icon has clearly felt for a long time now, as he also says in the same interview, “I’ve said it before: Black history is American history, they’re completely intertwined.”
Does Morgan Freeman make a point? Does being singled out for celebration keep rehashing old wounds of slavery, or does acknowledging where we came from allow us to better understand where the culture is going? See what others are saying on social media below, and sound off with your own thoughts over on our Facebook, Twitter and Instagram:
