Morgan Freeman is making headlines for his latest comments on race.
In an interview with Britain’s The Sunday Times, the Oscar-winning actor made it clear he has problems with the term “African American” as well as the U.S. celebrating Black History Month.
“Black History Month is an insult,” Freeman said to the newspaper via People. “You’re going to relegate my history to a month?”
“Also ‘African American’ is an insult,” he continued. “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.'”
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Freeman shared more of his thoughts on what he thinks is wrong with being called “African American.”
“What does it really mean? Most Black people in this part of the world are mongrels,” he added. “You say Africa as if it’s a country when it’s a continent, like Europe.”
The reporter brought up a previous comment from Denzel Washington who said, “I’m very proud to be Black, but Black is not all I am.”
Freeman agreed with the legendary actor’s statement.
“Yes, exactly. I’m in total agreement. You can’t define me that way,” he said.
Freeman, 85, was born in Memphis, Tennessee and raised in Mississippi. He previously said in an interview with 60 Minutes that he finds Black History Month “ridiculous.”
“I don’t want a Black history month. Black history is American history,” he told late correspondent Mike Wallace. The journalist asked Freeman how the country could get rid of racism and the actor responded, “Stop talking about it.”
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