Tyler Perry brought the house down at Sunday night’s BET Awards during his acceptance speech for the Ultimate Icon Award. After the statuette was presented to him by frequent collaborator Taraji P. Henson, the film and TV mogul recounted how his rough childhood paved the way for his success, inspiring a standing ovation when he spoke about the history behind his production studio in Atlanta.
“The studio was once a Confederate Army base,” he said. “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.”
The revelation earned thunderous applause from the night’s attendees, including Lena Waithe and Lizzo. Perry then began to speak about how the studio has enabled him to generate his own film and TV projects, rather than forcing him to fight for acceptance in a mostly white industry.
“While everybody was fighting for a seat at the table talking about #OscarsSoWhite, #OscarsSoWhite, I said, ‘Y’all go ahead and do that,’” he said. “But while you’re fighting for a seat at the table, I’ll be down in Atlanta building my own. Because what I know for sure is that if I could just build this table, God will prepare it for me in the presence of my enemies.”
After the applause died down a bit, Perry added a message to “every dreamer in this room: there are people whose lives are tied into your dream. Own your stuff, own your business, own your way.”
Perry had began his speech by telling a story about listening to his mother and her friends as they played cards and spoke candidly about the men in their lives, often cutting through the pain with humor. When his father would beat and abuse his mother, Perry said, he would lift her spirits by doing an impression of one of her friends.
“There was a power in that that I didn’t really get until I got older,” the filmmaker said. Subconsciously, he said, his first 10 movies were about his mother and “wanting her to know that she was worthy—wanting black women to know you’re worthy, you’re special, you’re powerful, you’re amazing.”
Perry, who signed a multiyear partnership deal with Viacom in 2017, has four upcoming shows at BET, including a White House–set soap titled The Oval. He also has one more drama, two comedies, and a live holiday-themed production in the works.
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