Morgan Freeman: The word ‘African American’ is an ‘insult’

Morgan Freeman
The word ‘African American’ is an ‘insult’

Morgan Freeman (85) considers the word “African American” to be an “insult”. “I don’t identify with that label,” explains the actor in an interview with the Sunday Times newspaper. What bothers him about this term, among other things, is that an entire continent is treated like one country.

“Black people have always been referred to by various terms that go back to the N-word,” Freeman said. “I don’t know how those words caught on, but everyone is talking about African American now,” the Oscar winner continued. “What does that actually mean?”

“You want to reduce my story to one month?”

Morgan Freeman is also bothered by Black History Month. Under this title, the achievements of black people are particularly appreciated for a month in some countries. “Black History Month is an insult. You want to reduce my story to one month?” asks Freeman in disbelief.

Black History Month is celebrated in the United States and Canada in February. In Great Britain and Ireland, the culture of citizens with African roots is honored in October. In Germany, the Initiative Black People in Germany (ISD) has been organizing events every February since the 1990s.

Not Freeman’s first criticism of Black History Month

Morgan Freeman criticized Black History Month in 2005. In the Talk show “60 Minutes” he described the commemorative month as “ridiculous”. He doesn’t want a month for Black History. “Black history is American history,” he declared. Racism will only disappear if you stop thinking in terms of black and white.

The historian Carter G. Woodson, who initiated a precursor to Black History Month in 1926, hoped at the time that commemorative month would one day become redundant – if Black history really became part of general American history.

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