Black History Month is an 'insult' for Morgan Freeman

Not every Black actor likes to be reminded of his race and calling Black History Month nothing but an “insult”, Hollywood star Morgan Freeman opened up about finding his place as an actor in the middle of the civil rights movement. In an interview, Morgan Freeman said that he owes his career to courage and luck and also some to changes in America.

“When I was growing up there was no ‘me’ in the movies,” he said. “If there was a Black man in a movie he was funny. Until Sidney Poitier came and gave young people like me the idea that, ‘OK, yes, I can do that.’”

Explaining his viewpoint on Black History Month, Morgan Freeman said, “Two things I can say publicly that I do not like. Black History Month is an insult. You’re going to relegate my history to a month? 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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On the stark change he’s seen in the entertainment industry over the years, Morgan said, “All people are involved now,” he explained. “Everyone. LGBTQ, Asians, Black, white, interracial marriages, interracial relationships. All represented. You see them all on screen now and that is a huge jump.”

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