Morgan Freeman

Morgan Freeman

Morgan Freeman was born in Memphis, Tennessee, on June 1st, 1937. He is an American actor, film director, and narrator. He has received multiple Academy Award nominations. He won an Oscar, a Golden Globe Award and a Screen Actors Guild Award. He has appeared in many blockbusters, but got his first break as part of the cast of the TV-series The Electric Company (1971–1977) .

Engagement in Cultural Diplomacy

Humanitarian Causes

Freeman has publicly criticized racism, but also condemns positive discrimination: "I don't want a black history month. Black history is American history.” The only way to end racism, according to him, is by stopping talking about it. Freeman contributed to the foundation of the Grenada Relief Fund in 2004. The Fund was created to aid people affected by Hurricane Ivan and Emily (2004) on the island of Grenada. The fund changed to PLANIT NOW, an organization that provides preparedness resources for people living in areas in danger of hurricanes and severe storms.

Philanthropic Donations

Freeman hosted an online disaster relief auction to benefit the American Red Cross. He has worked on multiple small clips for global organizations that raise awareness for environmental issues, such as One Earth. Freeman has donated money to the Mississippi Horse Park, part of Mississippi State University, in Starkville, Mississippi. Freeman also created a cookbook called ‘Morgan Freeman and Friends: Caribbean Cooking for a Cause.’ The money raised by the sale of the book go to the Grenada Relief Fund.

Notable Actions

Freeman supported the proposal to change the Mississippi state flag, because it contains the Confederate battle flag. This, however, never happened. Freeman sits on the Board of Directors for Earth Biofuels. The company’s mission is to promote the use of clean-burning fuels in America.

External Links

IMDB - Morgan Freeman

Look to the Stars - Morgan Freeman

The Bleacher Report - Morgan Freeman