Morgan Freeman is one of the most acclaimed actors of his generation. The 85-year-old Oscar winner is known for his iconic performances in films like The Shawshank Redemption, Million Dollar Baby, Driving Miss Daisy and Unforgiven.
Off-screen, the deep-voiced legend is not afraid to speak his mind about issues that are important to him — and in a recent interview, he opened up about his problems with terms like “Black History Month” and “African-American.”
‘An insult’
Speaking with The Sunday Times, Freeman said he had an issue with the concept of Black History Month, annually observed during February in the US.
“Black History Month is an insult. You’re going to relegate my history to a month?” Freeman told the outlet.
Freeman made the same comments in 2005 during a 60 Minutes interview: “I don’t want a black history month. Black history is American history,” he said at the time.
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Freeman also said he doesn’t like being referred to as “African American,” which he calls an “insult” that does not accurately describe him or many other Black Americans.
“I don’t subscribe to that title,” he told Sunday Times. “Black people have had different titles all the way back to then-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.”
According to the New York Times, the term “African-American” was popularized in the 1980s by Rev. Jesse Jackson, as an alternative to “black” that emphasized heritage and cultural roots. The term became widespread but has also been the subject of debate; many people and outlets now use “Black” instead.
‘You can’t define me that way’
Freeman has spoken up about issues related to race in recent years: the Mississippi-born actor supported a change to the Mississippi state flag that previously featured an an emblem of the Confederate Battle Flag, and in 2015 expressed support for protestors in Baltimore after the death of Freddie Gray.
But as an actor Freeman does not want to be defined by his race. In the Sunday Times interview, Freeman said he agreed with a statement made by actor Denzel Washington: “I’m very proud to be Black, but Black is not all I am.”
“I’m in total agreement. You can’t define me that way,” Freeman said.
That perspective reflects recent comments made by acclaimed actor Idris Elba, who said that he felt limited by being called a “Black actor.”
“As humans, we are obsessed with race,” Elba told Esquire U.K. “And that obsession can really hinder people’s aspirations, hinder people’s growth. Racism should be a topic for discussion, sure. Racism is very real. But from my perspective, it’s only as powerful as you allow it to be. I stopped describing myself as a Black actor when I realized it put me in a box.”
“I didn’t become an actor because I didn’t see Black people doing it and I wanted to change that,” he added. “I did it because I thought that’s a great profession and I could do a good job at it.”
‘We’re moving ahead in leaps and bounds’
While Freeman does not think actors should be defined by their race, he remarked on the increasing diversity and representation on screen.
“Generationally, though, I do think we’re moving ahead in leaps and bounds… LGBTQ, Asians, black, white, interracial marriages, interracial relationships. All represented. You see them all on screen now and that is a huge jump,” he told Sunday Times.
Freeman also said he was “envious” of Denzel Washington’s career. But he also revealed that his own acting hero, the late great Sidney Poitier, was envious of Freeman’s career: “I spoke with Sidney way back. He said, ‘I wanted to be like you.’”
Morgan Freeman is an incredible actor who is never afraid to speak his mind. Do you agree with him? Please share this story and share your thoughts!
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