Note: Regardless if Mr. Freeman ever reads this or not, this is a message which many people need to read.
Dear Mr. Freeman,
I hope that this message finds you in great health and high spirits. I think it goes without saying that you're undoubtedly one of the most talented actors that I've ever seen. Your movies are classics, and the word "iconic" is an understatement when it comes to describing some of the characters that you've played over the years.
Not only do I respect you as an actor, I also respect your perspective and your opinion as an African-American man who grew up in the era of Jim Crow segregation. I'm sure you've faced discrimination far more dehumanizing and humiliating than I may ever experience.
However, I must respectfully disagree with a statement that you made some years back in a 60 Minutes interview. In the interview, the late, talented journalist, Mike Wallace asked you a rather complex question, he asked, "How do we get rid of racism?"
You promptly stated that the best way to get rid of racism was to "Stop talking about it."
You elaborated by saying "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."
I found these views as dangerous in today's America because in a world where hate crimes, the explosion of the prison industrial complex, police brutality, racial profiling and discrimination in housing, jobs, education and politics still exist, America still has a rather immature view of race and the role it plays in our lives. Some of the most apparent symbols of this are seen in our language.
For example, just look at a phrase like, "Playing the race card". Such a phrase would imply that people who discuss race are merely insincere opportunists who use their race as some sort of Monopoly-esque "Community Chest" card.
But life is no game, and my mentions of racism won't allow me to "Pass Go" and Collect $200, nor will my race ever be a "Get Out of Jail Free Card" (In fact, it may be a Get Into Jail Free Card).
So, saying "Stop talking about it" basically allows those immature beliefs to be reinforced and it suggests that the best way to combat racism is to pretend it doesn't exist, which many people already do... and have been doing.
One of the few cases in which silence might work to solve a problem is if you're trying to put a baby to sleep. But America isn't baby anymore, and its citizens have been "sleeping" long enough. A more adequate analogy of America would be that of an unruly child, who needs to be taught why certain behaviors are problematic in order to correct those behaviors.
If your character from the movie Lean on Me, Joe Clark, decided to solve the problems of the dysfunctional Ease Side High by simply not talking about them, Lean on Me would have been a very different movie, to say the least.
Implying that race and racism are things which we just shouldn't talk about about gives the impression that these aren't real issues in the world. Despite the fact that race is a social construct, racism is something that is very real, especially in its consequences.
Many people are uncomfortable with discussing issues of race because they're afraid to offend people, some don't feel as if it affects them, and some don't discuss issues of race because it may challenge some of the beliefs which they, or people close to them, have internalized.
Many people may even be uncomfortable reading this letter and it may make some people angry. But most growth comes from discomfort, so if they are uncomfortable and/or angry, it means they probably read something that was true.
But, I believe that any injustice, whether its based on race, religion, political beliefs, sexual orientation or nationality, requires courageous, loving individuals to have an honest discussion about it. People need to talk more about racism, and not only that, they need to learn about its history, and act on it productively.
Poverty won't go away by silence. Not talking about cancer or AIDS doesn't ensure a cure for the many people affected by those diseases. Wars certainly do not end by people not discussing them.
Mr. Freeman, silence doesn't eliminate societal problems, it just perpetuates them, and race is no exception.
P.S. You have one of the best voices I've ever heard.
Sincerely,
Marvin DeBose
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