LOS ANGELES – In recognition of Black History Month, Local 4 spoke with a man who made history by helping the Detroit Youth Choir stay on America’s Got Talent, eventually leading them to second place.
Terry Crews played football for most of his career, but is now an actor and TV show host. I caught up with Crews, and he explained why Black History Month is so important.
- View more: Black History Month special section
“First of all, it’s really American history,” Crews said.
From inside his Los Angeles-area home, Terry Crews spoke candidly about what Black History Month means to him.
“When you talk about the legacy that African-Americans -- we built this country,” Crews said. "We’ve invented things. We made things. We are an integral part of everything in America.”
The AGT host and NAACP award nominee honors those who have come before him and recognizes the sacrifices they have made.
“I’m doing a lot of things simply because people in my past, generations before me could not even try it," Crews said. "So I have an obligation to take control and take advantage of all these opportunities that I have in front of me.”
The 51-year-old is no stranger to making history himself. He became one of the first men to join the #MeToo movement, calling out a Hollywood executive who he claims sexually assaulted him. For Crews, speaking out was about standing up against injustice.
“A lot of people were telling me, ‘You were too big to get molested. You were too big,’” Crews said. "That’s like saying a house is too big to get robbed. You always have to recognize when you have had your lines crossed. This is what boundaries are all about, and once I felt I was valuable enough to stand up for myself, I could.”
For Crews, Black History Month is about standing up for yourself and others. It’s not just confined to February, either. Black History Month is something he celebrates year-round.
“For me, it’s more than a month, to be honest, but the fact that we have to recognize the contributions that African-Americans have made all through the years is the most important thing," Crews said.
Crews is a native of Flint. He hasn’t been back to our area for years, but he’s hopeful the next AGT winner is from Detroit so he’ll have a reason to come back.