Yahoo News Fact Check: Actor Morgan Freeman Allegedly Once Said, 'I Don't Want Black History Month.' We Looked for Verification
Claim:
Actor Morgan Freeman said, “I don't want a black history month. Black history is American history; there is no white history month. The only way to end racism is to stop talking about it.”
Rating:
What's True:
Morgan Freeman has criticized the concept of Black History Month, saying: “Black History Month is an insult. You’re going to relegate my history to a month?” On a separate occasion, he said, “I've said it before, black history is American history.’ He also said, in answer to a question about how to get rid of racism, “Stop talking about it.” However ...
What's False:
Morgan Freeman did not use the exact words in the claim though he did make statements expressing the same sentiments on separate occasions.
A quote attributed to actor Morgan Freeman went viral in June 2024. The Academy Award winning actor was purportedly criticizing the concept of Black History Month.
According to one meme, Freeman said: "I don't want a black history month. Black history is American history; there is no white history month. The only way to end racism is to stop talking about it."
(@Mocake6 / X)
Freeman did express the sentiments in the above quote, just not in those exact words or all at the same time. The meme-maker appears to have cobbled together different statements Freeman made in numerous interviews over the years, but it does express his sentiments on racism and the concept of Black history. As such, we rate this claim as "Mostly True."
In an April 2023 interview with The Sunday Times, Freeman criticized Black History Month and the term "African-American" (emphasis added):
"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.
This was not a new opinion from him. In a 2012 Guardian interview, he said, "I hate the phrase 'African American' because 'black' is beautiful. One syllable versus seven. [...] I've said it before, black history is American history, they're completely intertwined."
He also spoke about former U.S. President Barack Obama's mixed-race identity: "The thing that really makes me angry is the whole rightwing focus on his blackness – his white mother is never mentioned. Even today, all this reminds you that if you have mixed-race parents, the first thing you learn is that the white half doesn't matter to anyone but you. Don't think you're white, because no one out there will ever let you forget you're black. It ain't gonna work."
In a 2005 interview with CBS News' "60 Minutes" —which we covered in a previous fact check—Freeman also repeated his criticism of Black History Month, calling it "ridiculous."
"You're going to relegate my history to a month?" he said. "I don't want a Black History Month. Black history is American history." He noted there were no white or Jewish history months. When asked the question, How can we get rid of racism?" per CBS News transcripts, he said:
Stop talking about it. I'm going to stop calling you a white man. And I'm going to ask you to stop calling me a black man. I know you as Mike Wallace. You know me as Morgan Freeman. You wouldn't say, 'Well, I know this white guy named Mike Wallace.' You know what I'm sayin'?
The clip can be seen here:
Freeman made those statements in different interviews ,and while he did not use the exact words, he has maintained the same sentiments throughout his career.
Sources:
Dean, Jonathan. Morgan Freeman: It's an Insult to Be Called African-American. 26 June 2024, https://www.thetimes.com/culture/tv-radio/article/morgan-freeman-interview-it-s-an-insult-to-be-called-african-american-cwdbwqvbf. Accessed 26 June 2024.
Kopp, Carol. "Morgan Freeman Defies Labels." CBS News, 14 Dec. 2005, https://www.cbsnews.com/news/morgan-freeman-defies-labels-14-12-2005/. Accessed 26 June 2024.
Mikkelson, David. "Did Morgan Freeman Say Black History Month Is 'Ridiculous'?" Snopes, 27 July 2012, https://www.snopes.com//fact-check/morgan-freeman-on-black-history-month/. Accessed 26 June 2024.
Patterson, John. "Morgan Freeman: Obama, Mandela, Batman and Me." The Guardian, 12 July 2012. https://www.theguardian.com/film/2012/jul/12/morgan-freeman-obama-mandela-batman. Accessed 26 June 2024.
