Morgan Freeman brands Black History Month an 'insult' in rare intervention

He said: “Black History Month is an insult. You’re going to relegate my history to a month?”

Freeman, who appeared as Nelson Mandela in Clint Eastwood’s 2009 Invictus film, also challenged the use of the term African-American.

He added: “Also ‘African-America’ is an insult. 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’.

“What does it really mean? Most black people in this part of the world are mongrels.

“And you say Africa as if it’s a country when it’s a continent, like Europe.”

Other communities in the United States proudly specify which nation descendants migrated from, with multiple cities retaining strong Italian-American and Irish-American connections.

Black History Month is observed in October in the United Kingdom and in February in the United States.

Former American President Gerald Ford introduced the event in 1976, claiming it would “honour the too-often neglected accomplishments of Black Americans in every area of endeavour throughout our history”.

Advocates argue it is an important way to remember important people and events throughout the history of the African diaspora.

But Freeman has long challenged supporters on whether it can fully account for thousands of years of history.

The Shawshank Redemption star previously addressed the topic during an interview with CBS’ Mike Wallace in 2005.

Echoing his comments to The Sunday Times, Freeman said almost two-decades ago: “I don’t want a Black History Month. Black history is American history.”

Freeman recently appeared in Zach Braff’s A Good Person alongside Oxford-born actress Florence Pugh.

A Good Person will be available on Sky Cinema and NOW from April 28.