Denzel Washington, known for immersing himself into the mind and soul of murdered black nationalist hero Malcolm X, is quoted by Associated Press as saying he doesn't know whom he'll support for president.
Maybe Barack Obama, maybe Mitt Romney.
"I listen to both sides of the argument and try to make an assessment," AP quoted Washngton as saying in a September 12 article.
According to AP, Denzel "calls himself an independent and said in this election he isn't committing to either side."
We can't help but wonder what Malcolm would say about that.
As you all know, Denzel played the haunted black leader in the 1992 Spike Lee film.
Back in the day -- he was assassinated in 1965 -- Malcolm X wasn't known for studying both sides of an issue for too long. He judged which side was in the interests of black Americans and he quickly went for that side. And he strove to make sure that side would win.
"By any means necessary," as he would say.
Ah, but times have changed. This is post-racial America. Many blacks don't want to be put in a pidgeo-hole. Unless he was misquoted, seems Denzel feels that way also.
GQ Magazine ran an inteview with the church-going Denzel:
GQ question: How do you think Obama fits in now?
Denzel answer: Well, the story's not told yet. He's in the beginning of the third quarter. I don't know what his legacy is yet. He's the first—that's a part of it. Like Jackie Robinson. But it just wasn't the first game; it was lasting the whole thing.
GQ question: Would you ever go into politics?
Denzel answer: No. I'm an independent. In some ways I'm liberal, and other ways I'm conservative. We get so locked in on "you have to be this or that." It's ridiculous. I'm not a liberal or a conservative completely. Who is? Or why do you have to be? You assess the pros, the cons, of both sides and you make an intelligent decision.
Read it all here.
See the AP piece on the Miami Herald's site, here.
(And, ahem, in the photos, that's Malcolm on the left and Denzel on the right.)
Uh, brother? Please check that date of Malcolm's assassination. Think you meant 1965 instead of 1995.
Sounds like Denzel's trying to play it "safe," so he's not committing. That's OK. I don't look to thespians to help determine my politics, and hope others feel similarly. But somehow, I think I may be wrong.
Posted by: Gayle | October 05, 2012 at 10:58 PM