*Tyler Perry has penned a moving essay about racism, police brutality and racial injustice in America for PEOPLE magazine.
“I initially said no, and that was strange for me because I’m a man of faith and I believe greatly in hope,” Perry said.
“My reluctance wasn’t because I didn’t think it was important, and certainly not that I’m not outraged at the murder of George Floyd and so many others,” he added.
“It was simply because I was exhausted,” he said. “I’m exhausted from all the hate and the division, the vitriol that I see online from one to another. I’m exhausted from seeing these kinds of senseless murders play out over and over again with no changes in our society.”
In the end, Perry felt compelled to publish his essay in the magazine’s upcoming issue, sharing his thoughts for his 5-year-old son and his hope for the nation amid ongoing civil unrest over police brutality and injustice.
OTHER NEWS YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED: Tyler Perry: Entertainment Mogul to Pay for Rayshard Brooks’ Funeral
I have been trying to process my feelings about all that’s going on in our country, so I wrote an essay from my heart for @people. On newsstands nationwide on Friday. https://t.co/ftjUlOi7ZF pic.twitter.com/SHT6SGEyx6
— Tyler Perry (@tylerperry) June 17, 2020
“The level of racism and brutality that George Floyd faced is something that we as black people know all too well. When I saw that video, I had so many raw, guttural emotions. I felt for him and his family, I felt for all of us as black people, I felt for my five-year-old son,” he wrote. “As I watched with tears in my eyes, it brought back a flood of years of emotions from carrying what feels like the weight of racism on my neck.”
Perry continued, “I dried my eyes and put pen to paper for not only myself, not only for hope, but for morning to come for the millions of us who just want to be treated fairly, for those of us who want justice for all, and for my five-year-old son.”
The filmmaker noted that “as his father, a black man in America, it is my duty to prepare him for the harsh reality that awaits him outside of the watchful eyes of his loving parents,” he writes. “It will be a hard, heartbreaking conversation but one that I must have and will have soon.”
In a video read of his essay, Perry shared the advice he intends to give his son.
“I will explain to [Aman] that because we are only 12 to 14 percent of the population, this fight will continue to be a long and arduous one, but I will tell him with pride to never give up. I will tell him that progress is made in small steps and even if you get exhausted to fight on, because there are always signs of daybreak before the morning comes.”
Perry’s video is exactly 8 minutes and 46 seconds — the same amount of time that (former) Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin placed his knee on George Floyd‘s neck, killing him in an act of cruelty that was caught on camera.
We Publish News 24/7. Don’t Miss A Story. Click HERE to SUBSCRIBE to Our Newsletter Now!
