Don't talk about it and it'll go away....

[Michele]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20051215/ap_en_mo/people_morgan_freeman

Freeman Criticizes Black History Month

NEW YORK - 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."


Did I mention that I LOVE Morgan Freeman? :cloud9:

What are your thoughts on his statements? True or not? Does he have a point?

[GracieMae]

He is one smart man :)

[abcNKH]

Of course the labels are an obstacle. They are based in the past. How do you get to the future with no racism when everything you say refers to the past in such a negative way? I hope people listen to him.

[Terrell]

A better solution would be to include the contributions of everyone regardless of race in American History class. Until such time as that happens there this issue will likely continue to fester.

I did always wonder personally, why February was picked, given it's the shortest month. You know the mnemonic:

"Thirty days have September, April, June, and November. All the rest have 31 except for February which has 28"

I agree that the labels are part of the problem, we'll all be better off when we realize that we are all one race The Human Race. That should apply to ethnic, religious, national, sexual preference, and all the other silly differences that people kill each other over.

[kingclick]

:trophy: :cheer:

I have new found respect for that man!

[mom2burgess]

He is absolutly right. I hope people listen to him

[holychicken]

We call people "brunettes," "blondes," "blue-eyed," "brown-eyed," "tall," "thin," etc. . . There doesn't seem to be much of a problem *anymore* for most white people recognize that one might be Irish and one might be German.

Asking us to stop recognizing our differences is both ridiculous and unrealistic. Difference is a great and wonderful thing and should be celebrated, not ignored as if it doesn't exist.

[abcNKH]

I believe he is saying that we are constantly calling attention to being black in ways which quite often have negative overtones and call attention to the ugliness of slavery and discrimination. People would think it was awful if we created a white history month. If anything, we should have American History month, to encompass all aspects of history in this country.

[Book Wizard]

I believe NKH is right about what Morgan Freeman is saying.

[holychicken]

"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.
He said outright that we should stop talking about race altogether; he said we should stop noting people's race.

nkh,

Can you explain to me how you got what you think he said from what he said?

[Minnie_Beebe]

I agree that diversity should be celebrated, not shoved into a "don't ask, don't tell" policy. This is coming from my own point of view, of course. Morgan Freeman lives a life that no one can relate to unless you're black. I think the white folk need to be mindful of that.

As for American History Month, that's fine, as long as it isn't taught by the side who "won". We get that enough in school.

[Book Wizard]

He isn't saying "don't ask, don't tell". He is saying that we ought not to designate people by their color. The color of one's skin should not matter whether one is black, white, yellow, or red.

[Terrell]

We call people "brunettes," "blondes," "blue-eyed," "brown-eyed," "tall," "thin," etc. . . There doesn't seem to be much of a problem *anymore* for most white people recognize that one might be Irish and one might be German.

Asking us to stop recognizing our differences is both ridiculous and unrealistic. Difference is a great and wonderful thing and should be celebrated, not ignored as if it doesn't exist.

I don't think there has been any historical discrimination against any of those groups, except maybe the Irish, anywhere near the level of discrimination that people who weren't considered white have faced in the US over our history.

People are saying that the differences should not be caused for derogatory terminology or treatment. That doesn't mean you have to pretend that everyone is the same, just refrain from treating someone negatively different just because of their immutable charistics.

[Minnie_Beebe]

People are saying that the differences should not be caused for derogatory terminology or treatment. That doesn't mean you have to pretend that everyone is the same, just refrain from treating someone negatively different just because of their immutable charistics.

I agree totally. But unfortunately in this country and many others, they can't seem to get past labels - whether it be for color or gender or sexual orientation. When is the last time you didn't automatically label a gay guy without using his sexual orientation. Think about it, most of the time, any sentence regarding a gay guy is labeled first. He could never just be a guy. I hate labels.

[abcNKH]

Can you explain to me how you got what you think he said from what he said?Just my interpretation based on my own experience, I guess. Why must people note race in someone's accomplishments, but only when it is a minority? Why can't they just note the accomplishment? Is it more of an accomplishment because someone is black? IMO, only from the viewpoint that the black race has been thru slavery and discrimination. I don't believe that he meant totally ignoring race, but when it is noted in such a manner as to make it sound more significant in spite of the fact that he/she is black, then that takes away from the accomplishment in general, and puts some of the focus of that accomplishment in the ugly past. When race is noted in the accomplishment, it makes it sound like that person really had no right to that accomplishment because of his/her race. It makes it sound like black people in general should not be attempt to accomplish things, simply because they are black. It keeps that door open to use race as an excuse for NOT accomplishing something.

Slavery was an issue for America, not just the blacks in America. It was an ugly dark chapter in our history, and although I believe that we need to acknowledge and learn from it, I also think that we need to put it in the past. If we as a society continue to dwell on this ugliness and even celebrate it with such things as Black History month, then how do we as a society get past it to a point where the ugliness is just a distant memory? If we dwell on it, then it remains part of today's society.

[Minnie_Beebe]

I don't think we can ever get past it UNTIL we embrace the fact it happened. And I don't mean some obscure reference to it in a White House memo or even in congress.

We, as a nation, need to mourn what we did. I hear this all the time from whites - "Why can't we all just get over it and move on" - "I wasn't alive then so why should I feel guilty or be punished?" Blah, blah, blah...

The fact is we need to acknowledge as a country what happened then we can move on.

[holychicken]

People are saying that the differences should not be caused for derogatory terminology or treatment. That doesn't mean you have to pretend that everyone is the same, just refrain from treating someone negatively different just because of their immutable charistics.
Terrell, I totally agree. However, that is not what this debate about. IMO, Freeman was telling us to totally ignore the fact that we are of different races. IMO, we can and SHOULD be able to be civil with each other and recognize our differences at the same time.

nhk,
I don't believe that he meant totally ignoring race
He said not to call him black. It said in the article that he thinks the labels black and white are an obstacle to beating racism. How can we recognize his race without even calling him what race he is?

For the record, I agree with everything you have said. However, I just don't think that is what he was saying.

[abcNKH]

The fact is we need to acknowledge as a country what happened then we can move on.And don't you think we have acknowledged it? Don't you think that the civil rights movement 40 years ago and the changes that brought about acknowledged it? When is it time to move on? My own DD is bi-racial, and we get our share of stares and comments. She is becoming an expert on black history, especially black women. They are her heroes. She knows that they have paved the way for her to do anything she wants. But she is living TODAY, when there is no slavery, and she refuses to use discrimination as an excuse for anything. She wants to do things and be recognized not because she is bi-racial, but because she is HER.

[Minnie_Beebe]

And don't you think we have acknowledged it? Don't you think that the civil rights movement 40 years ago and the changes that brought about acknowledged it? When is it time to move on? My own DD is bi-racial, and we get our share of stares and comments. She is becoming an expert on black history, especially black women. They are her heroes. She knows that they have paved the way for her to do anything she wants. But she is living TODAY, when there is no slavery, and she refuses to use discrimination as an excuse for anything. She wants to do things and be recognized not because she is bi-racial, but because she is HER.

No, I do not think it's been acknowledged. Truely acknowledged. Like if we mention it, it doesn't cause the rolling eyes syndrome. It seems whites are inherently defensive about it whenever it's brought up.

I don't think we will ever be over it until we stop acting defensive and just accept that as a country, we acted atrociously.

[abcNKH]

accept that as a country, we acted atrociously.IMO, we, as a country, have tried to make it right - I think the civil rights movement was the last big step we needed to take. Should we, as adults in this day and age so far removed from slavery, continue to try and make up for it somehow? How could we possibly do that? Wouldn't we get further as a society if we just tried to move forward? There may always be people who 'roll their eyes' and get defensive. Should we wait for them to be enlightened before trying to move forward? That may never happen.

If every step forward is met with 'white people acted atrociously a long time ago', then how can we get anywhere? If every accomplishment of a black person is acknowledged as an accomplishment of a black person, rather than an accomplishment of an American or of a human being, how can we ever expect to get rid of racism? The word 'black' to describe that American or human being is part of why racism continues, and I think this is what Morgan Freeman was trying to say.

[Minnie_Beebe]

IMO, we, as a country, have tried to make it right - I think the civil rights movement was the last big step we needed to take.

The civil rights movement that ended in the death of its leader? How about the numerous deaths of young people trying, TRYING to get people to understand that blacks are no different. Forget going to the South. Yeah, we really said "we accept it". Puh-leese.

Should we, as adults in this day and age so far removed from slavery, continue to try and make up for it somehow? How could we possibly do that?

By actually listening to the plights of the blacks in our society and mourn without becoming defensive. Understand that they are where they are today because we as a nation put them there AND kept them there.

Wouldn't we get further as a society if we just tried to move forward?

Once we can finally acknowledge it without crude remarks like "I wasn't there so I shouldn't be responsible" bullshit, then I think we can make this transition. And I hope someday we will.

If every step forward is met with 'white people acted atrociously a long time ago', then how can we get anywhere?

This is how I see it. Let's say your kid does something wrong. When asked for an apology, you see nothing but a brat who just says, "Sorry, Mom, jeez! What do you want me to say?! I SAID sorry!" with a roll of the eyes.

Would you accept that as an appropriate apology?

[Raven]

This is how I see it. Let's say your kid does something wrong. When asked for an apology, you see nothing but a brat who just says, "Sorry, Mom, jeez! What do you want me to say?! I SAID sorry!" with a roll of the eyes.

Would you accept that as an appropriate apology?

I do agree with most of what you've said, but this part I have to disagree with. The more appropriate analogy (imo) is if you were trying to force your child to apologise for something your father did. Yes, maybe you'd still think your kid is a brat for rolling his eyes and being sarcastic, but as the kid in question, I'd resent the heck out of being forced to apologise for something I did not do.

[Raven]

He said not to call him black. It said in the article that he thinks the labels black and white are an obstacle to beating racism. How can we recognize his race without even calling him what race he is?
.

because "black" is not a "race" - it is a skin color

[abcNKH]

This is how I see it. Let's say your kid does something wrong. When asked for an apology, you see nothing but a brat who just says, "Sorry, Mom, jeez! What do you want me to say?! I SAID sorry!" with a roll of the eyes.

Would you accept that as an appropriate apology?Raven is correct - the analogy is more like asking your neighbor's child to apologize for something his great grandfather did. If that child did all he could to make up for it, and you kept demanding an apology, kept bringing up the actions of his great-grandfather and telling the child what terrible things he did, don't you think that child would be frustrated? What more would you expect of that child?

But we are not talking about an individual, we are talking about a society. If all people in the society were still rolling their eyes, then it is a valid point. But all people are NOT rolling their eyes. Those still rolling their eyes are hopeless, may never stop. You expect the rest of society to convince the eye-rollers to stop before you allow any further progress. And while we are trying to convince the eye-rollers to stop, you keep demanding an apology which causes more eye-rolling. It is an impossible task. The only way to move forward is to ignore the eye-rollers and hope that eventually, they will quit teaching their children to do the same.

[Meiri]

Morgan Freeman lives a life that no one can relate to unless you're black.Actually he lives a life that no one can relate to unless they're a famous and, consequently, rather wealthy person. I like him very much too, and have the impression that he's not ostentatious with his wealth, but that doesn't change the fact that he doesn't live paycheck to paycheck like most people.

Race is an artificial distinction that has outlived its uselessness, I mean usefulness to those who wished to take advantage of those they could get away with labelling as different and inferior. Unfortunately, the consequences of those times haunt us still.:(

[holychicken]

because "black" is not a "race" - it is a skin color
Semantics, Raven.

But can I take from this comment that you think calling someone black or someone white is racist or racially offensive?

[kingclick]

Raven is correct - the analogy is more like asking your neighbor's child to apologize for something his great grandfather did. If that child did all he could to make up for it, and you kept demanding an apology, kept bringing up the actions of his great-grandfather and telling the child what terrible things he did, don't you think that child would be frustrated? What more would you expect of that child?

Bingo! Very good post. The only eye rolling I ever see is by the side who thinks we haven't done enough yet. And really those people are rare. I think that most of America is ready to accept that our society did something HORRIBLE in the past and we regret that it ever happened and wish it hadn't happened. I've yet to hear anyone try and claim that slavery never happened. I am however tired of hearing about what people did in the past, that has been apologized for NUMEROUS times.

Maybe we should just make a day called...."Slavery Atonement Day" and then treat all non-blacks in the same way that blacks were treated in the past for that one day. Would that be enough for the MBs of the world?