in a rare new interview with British newspaper The Sunday Times, Oscar winner Morgan Freeman explained why he opposes the term “African-American” and why it’s a “disgrace” to limit the teaching of black history to just one month.
In the interview, Freeman, 85, was asked about his previous comments 2005 Interview with Mike Wallace of CBSHow not talking about race can help end racism.
“Two things I can say publicly that I don’t like: Black History Month is a disgrace. You’re going to belittle my history for a month?” Freeman replied
“Plus ‘African-American’ is an insult,” he said. “I don’t subscribe to that title. Black people have different titles to go back to the N-word and I don’t know how these things catch on so much, but everyone uses ‘African-American.’ ‘What does it really mean?’
He continued, “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,” comparing it to people of European heritage being referred to by a specific country. being Irish-American or Italian-American.
When interviewer Jonathan Dean mentioned fellow actor Denzel Washington, and his statement “I’m very proud to be Black, but I’m not Black,” Washington echoed those sentiments.
“Yeah absolutely. I’m in total agreement,” Freeman shared. “You can’t define me like that.” He also said that he is “so jealous of Denzel’s career, because he’s doing what I wanted to do.”
Freeman, who currently stars alongside Florence Pugh a good persondiscusses how things have changed since she first started acting in the 1960s, from smaller stage roles to beloved children’s shows electric Company, He believes the industry has become increasingly inclusive, noting that for a long time roles for black actors were generally comedic “When I was growing up there was no ‘me’ in movies, ” they shared.
“The change is that now everyone is involved,” Freeman said. “Everybody. LGBTQ, Asian, black, white, interracial marriage, interracial relationship. Everyone represented. Now you see all of them on screen and it’s a huge jump.”
The actor also reflected on where he would have been if he had not found success in Hollywood.
“People ask, ‘What would you be doing if you didn’t make it?’ I don’t know,” he said. “Driving a limo? But I’ll be in community theater. I would have been acting. But it requires courage as well as luck. You need courage and sheer luck. I give the credit of my career to both.
