Source: Variety / Getty
Morgan Freeman is dead set on being contrarian.
The 85-year-old acting icon recently gave an interview with the UK publication The Sunday Times and according to TMZ, the writer teed Freeman up to unleash again his visceral disdain for Black History Month and the term “African American.” We say “again” because back in a 2005 interview when he infamously solved bigotry for the entire world when he vapidly said that the only way to end racism is to stop talking about race, “I’m going to stop calling you a white man and I’m going to ask you to stop calling me a black man.”
Respectfully, sure, Jan.
In this new go-round of Uncle Ruckus-y rhetoric, Freeman sounded off on how disdainful Black History Month is to him, “Black History Month is an insult. You’re going to relegate my history to a month?” Clearly, no one has ever explained to Morgan Freeman exactly what BHM is actually about. You won’t get any pushback from people when you say that Black history should be taught 24/7-365 as it is a part of American history. However, the point of BHM is to specifically celebrate the works, achievements, and accolades of our people. The two ideas are not mutually exclusive nor does one preclude the other.
Freeman explained why he won’t subscribe to the idea of the “African American.”
“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.”
Additionally, when the interviewer quoted Denzel Washington as once saying, “I’m very proud to be Black, but Black is not all I am,” Morgan responded;
“Yes, exactly. I’m in total agreement. You can’t define me that way.”
We’re not even 100% what the word salad means. How do you feel about Black History Month and the term “African American”? Does it rub you the wrong way like a shady masseuse? Let us know in the comment section.