Morgan Freeman criticizes Black History Month

[muchlove]

Freeman Criticizes Black History Month

Morgan Freeman says the concept of a month dedicated to black history is "ridiculous."

"You're going to relegate my history to a month?" the 68-year-old actor says in an interview on CBS' "60 Minutes" to air Sunday (7 p.m. EST). "I don't want a black history month. Black history is American history."

Black History Month has roots in historian Carter G. Woodson's Negro History Week, which he designated in 1926 as the second week in February to mark the birthdays of Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln.

Woodson said he hoped the week could one day be eliminated — when black history would become fundamental to American history.

Freeman notes there is no "white history month," and says the only way to get rid of racism is to "stop talking about it."

The actor says he believes the labels "black" and "white" are an obstacle to beating racism.

"I am going to stop calling you a white man and I'm going to ask you to stop calling me a black man," Freeman says.

Freeman received Oscar nominations for his roles in 1987's "Street Smart," 1989's "Driving Miss Daisy" and 1994's "The Shawshank Redemption." He finally won earlier this year for "Million Dollar Baby."

news.yahoo.com

[miss_perfect]

Me too. Nice to hear from an actor that sounds like he actually thinks before he speaks.

[Rambie]

Yes I have just gained so much more respect for him, I have always liked him. What he says above makes so much sense.

[UndercoverGator]

Hey, makes sense to me. Another reason to love Morgan.

[sweetrebel]

Morgan Freeman has a home near where I grew up, and on occasion, you can see him in our small town. He drives a small truck-nothing fancy. He also has a restaurant in another town close by, and is there a lot. He will take pictures with fans and seems like a really nice down to earth guy.

[SVZ]

I always felt it was a bit....patronizing.

[darksithbunny]

Oh man...ever since he played God in Bruce Almighty, instead of picturing God lookin like Prof Dumbledorf, he looks like Morgan Freeman and it's mighty nice!

[WickedHo]

^^ You know, it just occured to me: God was a black man in that movie. I hadn't thought about that. (Sorry, Morgan, couldn't resist calling you "black"!)

[feliciakb]

I somewhat agree w/ him. While racism still exists, I don't believe it's nearly as widespread as it once was. And sooo much focus on race can certainly be divisive.

[Grimmlok]

so is using it as an excuse for your own failings, if indeed your failings are responsible for your situation.

[FierceKiten]

I like Morgan Freeman and I totally agree. There is no white history month and many other races across the world are talked about on a regular basis, while a month is , (in my opinion) slackingly made for African Americans that accomplished none other than a fellow American would accomplish. Only thing is that it deals with color. Children are taught about slavery, racisim;"why cant we all get along", etc. Then we have other say that it is important to not forget. Just like a cut, you wash it, heal, but you know that it is there. Educating the future about the past, yet people use these examples of how we cannot move on. A very tuff issue.

[muchlove]

Morgan seems like someone I would like to know. I've always adored him.

[slurikaine]

Amen to that!

I've always wondered how Black History Month was not racist but a White History Month was ever since I was little. And while I respect all those who made the Black History Month possible, I always thought that racism would not be such an issue if it was not thrown in a white person's face all the time. I may be young and naive (I'm 23), but it just seems to me that racism would not be an issue if there were no holidays and such to divide us. And I'm not saying no MLK day, because he was a great man. Not just a great black man.

[FierceKiten]

Good opinions!

[darksithbunny]

I still think Morgan Freeman made my view of God go in a whole other direction....The door to my mind just flew off it's hinges.