Kevin Winter/Getty ImagesTyler Perry received the Ultimate Icon Award at Sunday’s BET Awards, and at the podium, he gave a moving speech about his journey to becoming a studio owner, and its significance.
Taraji P. Henson, who presented the award to Perry, touched on the director’s accomplishments, which included producing 21 theatrical plays, nine series and 22 films. Henson also noted that Perry was the first person to really value her.
“Tyler Perry was the first to pay me my worth,” she said.
In Perry’s speech, the director-producer first acknowledged his mother and the group of women who ended up inspiring his early stories. He explained that telling his mom stories that made her laugh “helped her cross” from the stress of the abusive relationship she had with his father.
He then added that he’s always wanted to help others “cross” in their careers.
“When I started hiring Taraji, Viola Davis and Idris Elba, they couldn’t get jobs in this town but God blessed me to be in a position to be able to hire them. I was trying to help somebody cross,” he said in his moving comments.
Perry then shared his bigger vision for helping others to “cross.” He talked about the importance of black ownership and the creation of Tyler Perry Studios.
After telling the audience how he built his studios in Atlanta’s poorest neighborhood to show black children that they can also be successful, Perry then revealed that the location of his studio was on the grounds of a former Confederate Army Base.
“[That] meant there were Confederate soldiers on that base, plotting and planning on how to keep 3.9 million Negroes enslaved,” he said, as the audience got on their feet.
“Now, that land is owned by one Negro.”
Copyright © 2019, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
