Every so often, there’s that one person who is an icon in their own way and it’s so beautiful and so magnificent that you can’t help but to be left in awe of that individual. When they create, produce and launch something, it’s something to marvel at. In my lifetime, Tyler Perry has been that individual.
This weekend, Perry held a launch party for his new Tyler Perry Studios and Black Hollywood’s finest showed up and showed out. Guests arrived and walked a purple carpet entering the studios. Purple, which signifies royalty, could not have been a better pick for this event. This 330 acre plot of land – acquired by Perry in 2015 – sits on what used to be the grounds of the historic McPherson Army Base. A former Confederate Army Base.
“The studio was once a Confederate Army base,” said Perry proudly earlier this year. “And, I want you to hear this, which meant that there was Confederate soldiers on that base, plotting and planning on how to keep 3.9 million negroes enslaved. Now that land is owned by one negro.” Let that sink in. This moment in time, on October 5th, 2019 will be immortalized as a day where one of Hollywood’s biggest names put his stamp on the industry to let it be known that things are changing for the better.
Oprah Winfrey, Denzel Washington, Beyoncé & Jay-Z, Spike Lee and more attended this monumental gala. Beyoncé had this to say, “Generations of blood, sweat and tears, success, excellence and brilliance. It makes me so proud, so full, I could not stop crying….My prayer today is that you will take it all in. You inspire me to dream even bigger.” Tyler Perry has helped so many African-American actors and actresses work and become successful in their craft when the greater portion of Hollywood would not cast them in movies. Some thought they didn’t have the IT factor but Perry always saw more and that is what makes him so great.
Earlier this year, Perry said in a powerful speech at the BET Awards. In it he said, “…while you’re fighting for a seat at the table, I’ll be in Atlanta building my own. Because what I knew for sure is that if I could just build this table, God would prepare it for me in the presence of my enemies.” That He did, Tyler. And all of black America is beaming with proud watching you soar as you help others cross.
