Morgan Freeman to Black People: “Get Over That Sh*t” Called Racism

Academy Award winning actor Morgan Freeman recently sat for an interview with BET.com. In it, he asserts that Black people complain too much about racism and white supremacy in Hollywood (and should follow the lead of the Chinese-his words, whom he asserts do no not complain about the lack of roles or racists depictions, which of course is not true. And even if it was, is shutting up about racism a model to be followed?), and that he does not consider the political impact on Blacks when he accepts different roles.

What’s your take on what’s been dubbed as the Black men blackout, i.e. the lack of African-American actors on stage, at this year’s Oscars?
I think we need to get over that s-t. How many Chinese do you see? You don’t see them out marching and s-t. Oh God please. I think … We need to get over it, that’s all.

Have you ever felt pressure to represent your people in a certain way in any of your films?
I don’t have any “my people.” I never had to deal with that part of my thing. Once, I straightened my hair when I was doing The Electric Company, and this woman comes up to me and says, “You…you… shouldn’t!” And I said, “Hold it. You don’t dictate my image. Get away from me.” And another one said, “But you’re a black man!” And I said, “Oh? Do tell!” After I played the president in Deep Impact, somebody said to me, “How does it feel to play a Black president?” And I was like, “Whoa, whoa. I didn’t play a ‘Black’ president. I played the president.” I don’t have to play Black.

And yet you’ve never shied away from controversial film portrayals of Black men like the pimp in Street Smart or the driver in Driving Miss Daisy. Has there been a special blueprint you’ve followed throughout your career?
I’m not shaped by anything at all except if it’s a good story and [has] an interesting character. I don’t have to worry about my image. My image has to do with my work. I’m not John Wayne. I’m an actor. I want to do anything that tells a good meaningful story. The part I play in it is just a part of that story.

Well I guess that helps explain why he wouldn’t cringe at playing Hoke in Driving Miss Daisy, and the Black side-kick in dozens of other films, giving him an estimated net worth of $90 million.

Wikipedia.com has an entire section on Freeman’s page called “Comments on Race.” It reads:

Freeman has publicly criticized the celebration of Black History Month and does not participate in any related events, saying, “I don’t want a black history month. Black history is American history.”^[14] He says the only way to end racism is to stop talking about it, and he notes that there is no “white history month”.^[15] Freeman once said on an interview with 60 Minutes‘Mike Wallace: “I am going to stop calling you a white man and I’m going to ask you to stop calling me a black man.”^[14] Freeman supported the defeated proposal to change the Mississippi state flag, which contains the Confederate battle flag.^[16][17]

I guess Wikipedia can add this BET interview to this section of his sketchy biography.