Morgan Freeman Calls Black History Month ‘An Insult’: ‘My History Is American History’

Actor Morgan Freeman blasted the idea of Black History Month, calling it an “insult” and saying the separate designation of black history is “not right.”

The 87-year-old actor said he “detests” Black History Month.

“The mere idea of it. You are going to give me the shortest month in a year? And you are going to celebrate ‘my’ history?” Freeman told Variety. “This whole idea makes my teeth itch. It’s not right.”

Freeman, who has been outspoken against Black History Month for years, stressed that black history is American history and should be taught and celebrated.

“My history is American history. It’s the one thing in this world I am interested in beyond making money, having a good time and getting enough sleep,” he said.

The Academy Award winner related the topic to his upcoming film The Gray House, which he is executive producing. It’s based on the true story of three women who worked as Union spies during the Civil War.

“If you don’t know your past, if you don’t remember it, you are bound to repeat it,” Freeman said of understanding American history.

This isn’t the first time Freeman has criticized Black History Month. In 2005, he called the idea of dedicating a month to Black history “ridiculous” and said the way to get rid of racism is to “stop talking about it.”

In 2023, Freeman referred to both Black History Month and the term “African American” as insults, saying, “I do not know how these things get such a grip, but everyone uses ‘African-American.’ What does it really mean?”

Freeman won one Oscar for Million Dollar Baby and was nominated four other times. He received the Cecil B. DeMille Award for lifetime achievement from the Golden Globes in 2012.