OPINION: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author's opinion.
An older video of actor Denzel Washington is making the rounds on Memorial Day.
During a premiere back in 2016 at the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, D.C., Washington spoke about being at the center of a fake news story earlier that year.
He responded by slamming the media for selling “B.S.”
“If you don’t read the newspaper, you’re uninformed. If you do read it, you’re misinformed,” Washington said at the premiere of “Fences” back in 2016.
“In our society, now it’s just first — who cares, get it out there,” Washington added. “We don’t care who it hurts. We don’t care who we destroy. We don’t care if it’s true.”
He continued, “Just say it, sell it. Anything you practice you’ll get good at — including B.S.”
In early 2016, fake reports surfaced that he had praised Donald Trump over Hillary Clinton and he was attributed with making a quote that he did not make.
The 61-year-old Oscar winner added that the media has “the need to be first, not even to be true anymore.”
“So what a responsibility you all have — to tell the truth,” Washington added.
WATCH:
Earlier this month, Washington, who has served as the Boys & Girls Clubs of America’s national spokesperson for over 25 years, delivered an incredible speech.
While speaking in Chicago for the organization’s national conference, Washington delivered a speech to thousands of Boys & Girls Club employees about gratitude.
But Washington shared the stage with 18-year-old Brianna P, who was named Boys & Girl Clubs of America’s “2021-22 National Youth of the Year.”
“I was surprised once my name was announced, but I know that I worked really hard for it. I know that I deserve the award and every single person that was [a nominee] deserves it as much as I do. I’m just lucky enough to be able to have it,” Brianna said. “I hope the best for them as well because all the people that I met throughout this whole journey, every single one of them deserves the opportunity and the same exact thing that I’m getting from this.”
“I started when I was nine … and eventually I started to help run that for the other kids with some of the other staff members at my club,” she said. “I was in it for a good, maybe two to three years, I really enjoyed it.
“Unfortunately, I’m not in it as much as I’d like to be any more just because now I’m running a Keystone Club at my club. But it’s definitely a great program and now I believe it’s called VEX Robotics.
“There are so many different things that they can do. They get to the program, they get to build the robots, and it’s such an amazing experience just watching them be able to make that come true and make that happen because they do some pretty cool stuff with it. I know … [the robots] were throwing some blocks and [they] can build stuff, it’s so cool that they get to experience that.”
Denzel has been part of the Boys & Girls Clubs since he joined the Mount Vernon, New York chapter at age five.
“All of you have proven that you need and deserve to be at the table when the issues facing our children must be addressed. Because when essential workers needed essential services for their children, you stepped up to provide those services. Because when many of our communities witnessed and experienced civil unrest, community leaders and law enforcement relied on you, club staff, to bring understanding and civility back to their communities,” Washington said.
