{African Americans} have fought and died in every conflict this nation was involved in, from the Revolutionary War onward . . . . We are Americans, and we fought and died to be Americans.

Discussing the US Civil War film Glory (1989); Freeman was honored as the Runner-up for the 1989 "Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Best Actor" in part for his portrayal of Sergeant Major John Rawlins in the movie. The quote is from an article in The New York Times entitled "'Glory' Resurrects Its Black Heroes" written by Glenn Collins. (March 26, 1989)