Black History : Is the term ‘Black History Month’ and ‘African American’ an insult?

[MsInterpret]

Actor, Morgan Freeman, believes the terms ‘Black History Month’ and ‘African American’ are an insults.

Morgan Freeman has said commonly used terms relating to race should be taken out of the lexicon. In an interview with the Sunday Times, the actor said he was keen to “say publicly” that he objected to the terms “Black History Month” and “African American”.
Calling both an “insult”, Freeman said of the first: “You’re going to relegate my history to a month?”
Freeman said he objected to “African American” because it was inaccurate.
“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’.

Article link: https://amp.theguardian.com/film/20...istory-month-and-african-american-are-insults

 

[Da Flash]

I saw this online the other day. I personally don't have an issue with "Black History Month" as it does give us a month more than pretty much every other peoples that aren't yt but, I can see where Mr. Freeman and others take offense to being relegated to just one month. I have never liked the phrase "African American" due to the fact that IMO, it's like saying that there is something wrong with the term "Black"! This and the fact that the name that we have been called by in this country seems to change ever so often plus I am a kid of the 60's and 70's so that what we were called then and some of us were actually proud!

 

[Precise Allah]

Peace,

I personally don't use the term African American to refer to self. I'm for the unification of original people and this term has more of a separation flavor to it. Also, I'm so many generations removed from my so-called African ancestors that culturally I don't have much in common with them. If African-American is the new neo way of saying "black," then I'm sticking with black.

Black History Month.......... sigh. If it helps people get in touch with their blackness, then cool. If one needs a yearly reminder of that, then they got bigger problems. I certainly don't need the shortest and coldest month of the year to remind me of my people, our history and our struggle.

Peace

 

[jamesfrmphilly]

i am ADOS - american descendent of slaves

 

[MsInterpret]

I support Black History Month, but it’s not a monthly celebration for me and mine. In these schools, it should be taught all the time, year round and not focusing on just the civil rights and slavery. Black culture and history should be interwoven through all subjects, like Health, Art, Music, English/Literature, etc.

As for the term African American, I hardly use it unless I am at work and we are dealing with demographics and other data. But do I call myself African American, no. I am black. Though my 5 year old says I’m brown. She will debate me on that.

I was speaking with a person who works with BlackPast.org and she believes that we should all just be Americans and alluded to that being one part of eliminating racism. I couldn’t disagree more.
For me, these are words at the end of the day, the heart is what really speaks.