Editing Morgan Freeman (section)

==Other ventures==
===Environmental activism===
In 2004, Freeman helped form the Grenada Relief Fund to aid people affected by [[Hurricane Ivan]] on the island of [[Grenada]]. The fund has since become PLANIT NOW, an organization that seeks to provide preparedness resources for people living in areas affected by hurricanes and severe storms.<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.planitnow.org/explore01.php| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20080508190505/http://www.planitnow.org/explore01.php| archive-date= May 8, 2008 |title=PLANIT NOW History |access-date =August 21, 2008}}</ref> In 2014, he narrated a clip titled ''What's Possible'' which had its debut at the United Nations [[2014 UN Climate Summit|climate summit]].<ref>{{Cite web|last=Yeo|first=Sophie|date=September 18, 2014|title=Morgan Freeman narrates UN climate summit film|url=https://www.climatechangenews.com/2014/09/18/morgan-freeman-narrates-un-climate-summit-film/|access-date=August 1, 2020|website=Climate Home News|language=en|archive-date=March 20, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210320142903/https://www.climatechangenews.com/2014/09/18/morgan-freeman-narrates-un-climate-summit-film/|url-status=live}}</ref> Freeman has donated to the Mississippi Horse Park in [[Starkville, Mississippi]], part of [[Mississippi State University]] and Freeman has several horses that he takes there.<ref>{{cite web| url= http://www.msstate.edu/web/maps/pdf/MissStateCampusMap.pdf| title= Mississippi State Campus Map| access-date= August 5, 2008| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20080912181549/http://www.msstate.edu/web/maps/pdf/MissStateCampusMap.pdf| archive-date= September 12, 2008| url-status= dead}}</ref>

After learning about the [[Colony collapse disorder|decline of honeybees]], Freeman decided to turn his 124-acre ranch into a bee sanctuary in July 2014 beginning with 26 beehives.<ref>{{cite web|last=d'Estries|first=Michael|date=July 25, 2014|title=Morgan Freeman is now a beekeeper|url=http://www.mnn.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/blogs/morgan-freeman-is-now-a-beekeeper|website=MSN|access-date=September 30, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161002090931/http://www.mnn.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/blogs/morgan-freeman-is-now-a-beekeeper|archive-date=October 2, 2016|url-status=live}}</ref>

Freeman is a supporter of [[Oceana (non-profit group)|Oceana]] and [[ocean conservation]].<ref>{{cite web|last=Dumas|first=Michael|title=Morgan Freeman, Ted Danson support post-oil spill Gulf impact expedition|date=August 24, 2010|website=[[AL.com]]|url=https://www.al.com/live/2010/08/morgan_freeman_ted_danson_oil_spill.html|accessdate=March 7, 2025}}</ref>

=== Political activism ===
In 2005, Freeman criticized the celebration of [[Black History Month]], saying: "I don't want a black history month. Black history is American history."<ref name="autogenerated1"/> He opined that the only way to end racism is to stop talking about it, and he noted that there is no "white history month".<ref name="autogenerated1">{{cite web|first=Isabelle|last=Khoo|url=https://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2017/02/10/morgan-freeman-black-history-month_n_14642958.html|title=Morgan Freeman Calls Black History Month 'Ridiculous' In Throwback Video|website=[[Huffington Post]]|location=New York City|date=February 10, 2017|access-date=May 5, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180312183205/http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2017/02/10/morgan-freeman-black-history-month_n_14642958.html|archive-date=March 12, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> In an interview with ''[[60 Minutes]]''{{'}}s [[Mike Wallace]], Freeman said: "I am going to stop calling you a white man and I'm going to ask you to stop calling me a black man."<ref name="autogenerated1" /><ref>[http://www.snopes.com/politics/quotes/blackhistory.asp A verbatim transcript] {{Webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20200730073415/https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/morgan-freeman-on-black-history-month/ |date=July 30, 2020}} of this segment of the Mike Wallace interview where Morgan Freeman suggests the abandonment of language that reinforces racism, is posted at the Snopes web site.</ref> Freeman supported the defeated proposal to change the [[Mississippi state flag]], which incorporated the [[Confederate States of America|Confederate]] [[Flags of the Confederate States of America#Battle flag|battle flag]] at the time.<ref>{{cite news|first=David|last=Firestone|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2001/04/18/us/mississippi-votes-wide-margin-keep-state-flag-that-includes-confederate-emblem.html|title=Mississippi Votes by wide margin to keep state flag That includes Confederate emblem |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=April 18, 2001 |url-access=subscription |access-date=April 2, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100817164517/http://www.nytimes.com/2001/04/18/us/mississippi-votes-wide-margin-keep-state-flag-that-includes-confederate-emblem.html|archive-date=August 17, 2010|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|first=Carol|last=Kopp|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/morgan-freeman-defies-labels-14-12-2005/|title=Morgan Freeman defies labels |work=CBS News| date= December 18, 2005| access-date=April 2, 2008}}</ref> In an interview on CNN's ''[[Piers Morgan Tonight]]'', Freeman drew controversy when he accused the [[Tea Party movement]] of racism.<ref name="THRracist">{{cite news |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/morgan-freeman-sparks-outcry-tea-party-racist-239872 |title=Morgan Freeman Sparks Outcry After Calling Tea Party Racist |work=[[The Hollywood Reporter]]  |location=Los Angeles, California |date=September 24, 2011 |access-date=January 27, 2012 |archive-date=March 20, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210320142857/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/morgan-freeman-sparks-outcry-tea-party-racist-239872 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://blogs.wsj.com/speakeasy/2011/09/24/morgan-freeman-calls-tea-party-racist/ |title=Morgan Freeman Calls Tea Party 'Racist' (Video) |work=[[The Wall Street Journal]]  |location=New York City |date=September 24, 2011 |url-access=subscription |access-date=January 27, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120126004445/http://blogs.wsj.com/speakeasy/2011/09/24/morgan-freeman-calls-tea-party-racist/ |archive-date=January 26, 2012 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|first=David|last=Jackson|url=http://content.usatoday.com/communities/theoval/post/2011/09/obama-backer-attacks-rooted-in-race/1|title=Obama backer: Some attacks are 'a racist thing'|work=[[USA Today]]|location=McLean, Virginia|date=September 25, 2011|access-date=January 27, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110924170743/http://content.usatoday.com/communities/theoval/post/2011/09/obama-backer-attacks-rooted-in-race/1|archive-date=September 24, 2011|url-status=live}}</ref> Regarding the [[2015 Baltimore protests]], Freeman said he was "absolutely" supportive of the protesters. "That unrest [in Baltimore] has nothing to do with terrorism at all, except the terrorism we suffer from the police{{nbsp}}... Because of the technology—everybody has a smartphone—now in reaction to the [[death of Freddie Gray]] we can see what the police are doing. We can show the world, 'Look, this is what happened in that situation.' So why are so many people dying in police custody? And why are they all Black? And why are all the police killing them white? What is that? The police have always said, 'I feared for my safety.' Well, now we know. OK. You feared for your safety while a guy was running away from you, right?"<ref>{{cite news|first=Zach|last=Schonfeld|url=http://www.newsweek.com/morgan-freeman-baltimore-and-terrorism-we-suffer-police-327300|title=Morgan Freeman on Baltimore and the 'Terrorism We Suffer From the Police'|work=[[Newsweek]]|location=New York City|date=April 30, 2015|access-date=August 17, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150819095224/http://www.newsweek.com/morgan-freeman-baltimore-and-terrorism-we-suffer-police-327300|archive-date=August 19, 2015|url-status=live}}</ref>

During the [[2008 United States presidential election|2008 presidential election]], Freeman endorsed [[Barack Obama]]'s presidential bid, although he said he would not join Obama's campaign.<ref>{{cite news|last=Clift|first=Eleanor|date=December 21, 2007|title=Freeman, Obama and Hollywood immortality|work=[[Newsweek]]|location=New York City|url=http://www.newsweek.com/id/81393|access-date=April 2, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080405014938/http://www.newsweek.com/id/81393|archive-date=April 5, 2008|url-status=live}}</ref> He provided the voice of the narrator for [[Disney World]]'s [[The Hall of Presidents]] when Obama was added to the exhibit,<ref>{{cite web|date=September 16, 2007|title=Hall of Presidents|url=http://www.wdwradio.com/Liberty-Square/Hall-of-Presidents.html|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090629183915/http://www.wdwradio.com/Liberty-Square/Hall-of-Presidents.html|archive-date=June 29, 2009|access-date=December 3, 2009|website=wdwradio.com|publisher=WDW Radio}}</ref><ref name="disneyobama">{{cite news|last=Bevil|first=Dewayne|date=June 29, 2009|title=Hail to the chief: Obama makes Disney debut at Hall of Presidents|work=[[Orlando Sentinel]]|location=Orlando, Florida|url=http://www.orlandosentinel.com/travel/attractions/orl-asecdisney-hall-of-presidents-06062909jun29,0,1439332.story|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100210032942/http://www.orlandosentinel.com/travel/attractions/orl-asecdisney-hall-of-presidents-06062909jun29,0,1439332.story|archive-date=February 10, 2010}}</ref> and when The Hall of Presidents re-opened on July 4, 2009, at [[Walt Disney World Resort]] in [[Orlando, Florida]].<ref name="disneyobama" /> On day four of the [[2016 Democratic National Convention]], Freeman provided the voiceover for the video introduction of Democratic presidential candidate [[Hillary Clinton]].<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Hill|first=Gerrad|date=July 28, 2016|title=Morgan Freeman narrated Hillary Clinton's DNC video, and Twitter loved it|magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]]|location=New York City|url=https://www.ew.com/article/2016/07/28/dnc-morgan-freeman-hillary-clinton-dnc-video-twitter|access-date=August 1, 2016|archive-date=March 20, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210320142825/https://ew.com/article/2016/07/28/dnc-morgan-freeman-hillary-clinton-dnc-video-twitter/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Lockhart|first=Keely|date=July 29, 2016|title=Even God backs Hillary: Morgan Freeman narrates biographical movie for Clinton campaign|work=[[The Daily Telegraph|The Telegraph]]|location=London, England|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/07/29/even-god-backs-hillary-morgan-freeman-narrates-biographical-movi/|access-date=August 1, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160801073244/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/07/29/even-god-backs-hillary-morgan-freeman-narrates-biographical-movi/|archive-date=August 1, 2016|url-status=live}}</ref> On September 19, 2017, Freeman appeared in a video by the Committee to Investigate Russia group,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://investigaterussia.org/video/morgan-freeman-warns-russia-waging-war-us |title=Morgan Freeman warns Russia is waging war on the U.S. |language=en |work=Committee to Investigate Russia|date=September 18, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Challands|first=Rory|date=September 22, 2017|title=US actor Morgan Freeman's cameo against Russia draws criticism|url=http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2017/09/actor-morgan-freemans-cameo-russia-draws-criticism-170922060331327.html|access-date=May 26, 2018|work=[[Al Jazeera]]|location=London, England|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180801122516/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2017/09/actor-morgan-freemans-cameo-russia-draws-criticism-170922060331327.html|archive-date=August 1, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> in which he declared "we [United States] are at war" and accusing Russia of "launching cyber attacks and spreading false information".<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-41348749 |title=Russia turns on Morgan Freeman over election 'war' video |language=en |work=[[BBC]] |date=September 21, 2017 |access-date=October 25, 2020 |archive-date=March 20, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210320142827/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-41348749 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Cohen|first=Stephen F.|author-link=Stephen F. Cohen|date=September 27, 2017|title=Do Liberal Democrats Want War With Russia?|url=https://www.thenation.com/article/do-liberal-democrats-want-war-with-russia/|access-date=May 26, 2018|work=[[The Nation]]|location=New York City|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180221151100/https://www.thenation.com/article/do-liberal-democrats-want-war-with-russia/|archive-date=February 21, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref>  Freeman also endorsed his friend [[Bill Luckett (businessman)|Bill Luckett]], who unsuccessfully ran for [[Governor of Mississippi]] in 2011.<ref>{{cite web|title=Freeman Backs Friend in Miss. Gov's Race|date=October 13, 2009|website=CBS News|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/freeman-backs-friend-in-miss-govs-race/|accessdate=March 7, 2025}}</ref>

In June 2021, he and Linda Keena, a professor at the [[University of Mississippi]], donated $1 million to the university, establishing the Center for Evidence-Based Policing and Reform.<ref>{{Cite web|author=Amir Vera, Dave Alsup and Jamiel Lynch|title=Morgan Freeman and a University of Mississippi professor donate $1M to college's policing program|url=https://www.cnn.com/2021/06/09/us/morgan-freeman-university-of-mississippi-policing/index.html|access-date=June 10, 2021|website=CNN|date=June 10, 2021}}</ref>

=== Business ventures ===
In 1997, Freeman and business partner [[Lori McCreary]] founded [[Revelations Entertainment]], a film production company. They also founded [[ClickStar]] in 2006, a film download company, with investment from [[Intel Corporation]].<ref>{{Cite web|last=Kramer|first=Staci D.|date=July 6, 2005|title=Morgan Freeman, Intel Launch ClickStar Online Movie Service; Intel Invests|url=https://gigaom.com/2005/07/06/morgan-freeman-intel-launch-clickstar-online-movie-service-intel-invests/|access-date=August 1, 2020|website=gigaom.com|language=en-US|archive-date=March 20, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210320142856/https://gigaom.com/2005/07/06/morgan-freeman-intel-launch-clickstar-online-movie-service-intel-invests/|url-status=live}}</ref> ClickStar ceased operations in 2008.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Gannes|first=Liz|date=August 12, 2008|title=ClickStar Down; Hoping on a Sale|url=https://gigaom.com/2008/08/12/clickstar-down-hoping-on-a-sale/|access-date=August 1, 2020|website=gigaom.com|language=en-US|archive-date=March 20, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210320142830/https://gigaom.com/2008/08/12/clickstar-down-hoping-on-a-sale/|url-status=live}}</ref> Freeman owns and operates [[Ground Zero (blues club)|Ground Zero]], a [[blues]] club in [[Clarksdale, Mississippi]]; he is the former co-owner of Madidi, a [[fine dining]] restaurant in the same city.<ref name="thegrio">{{cite news|date=February 29, 2012|title=Morgan Freeman closing Madidi Restaurant in Mississippi|website=thegrio.com|url=http://thegrio.com/2012/02/29/morgan-freeman-closing-madidi-restaurant-in-mississippi/|access-date=May 31, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190421084404/https://thegrio.com/2012/02/29/morgan-freeman-closing-madidi-restaurant-in-mississippi/|archive-date=April 21, 2019|url-status=live}}</ref>