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FEBRUARY 2005

James Earl Jones

Speaking with
James Earl Jones

By Dorothy Davis

Recently we joined James Earl Jones at the Oxonian Society. Brilliantly speaking on “The
Color of Delusion,”he wove together events of his life, ruminations on the ironies of “racism,” and the tough philosophy forged from their collision.

Born in Mississippi, raised in Michigan, Jones early “realized that people of every color could be racist, could be victims of racism.” This was due to his “part Cherokee-Choctaw grandmother who had
a double edged contempt for White folk and is the best example of racism that I know.”

He encountered racism in college. “There weren’t many black fellows at the University of Michigan—In response to a paper I wrote, a professor called me in. I had spelled simplicity ‘simplisity.’ ‘Why are you trying to be someone you’re not?’ he said. ‘You’re a dumb Son of a B—who doesn’t belong at a university!’—I had no idea how to respond to such deep seated racism.”

“The study of DNA undermines racist theory,” he said. “There is more variation within a group than between groups.  African-Americans’ ancestors left Africa more recently. Racists believe those whose ancestors left Africa 40,000 years ago are superior to those whose ancestors left 400 years ago. But we are all African. We are African-Hungarian, African-Swedish or African-Irish like some of my ancestors.” Yet people are racist. “Why doesn’t proof matter?”

His pragmatic response to racism is just to blow it off.

When asked about who his mentors were in life, his response was surprisingly, “No one.”

James Earl Jones has starred in such films as Star Wars (Darth Vadar), The Lion King, Clear and Present Danger, The

Hunt for Red October, Cry, the Beloved Country and The Great White Hope, for which he received an Oscar nomination. (And should have received the Oscar. Catch it this month on PBS and see for yourself.) You may also know him as the hopping (not hip-hopping) spokesperson for Verizon. #

Go to www.oxoniansociety.com for more information. Voices and Silences is James Earl Jones’ autobiography, recently updated with an epilogue and available in paperback.

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