*During the 2025 BET Awards Monday night, Tyler Perry delivered a powerful speech that aimed at Hollywood’s attempts to erase Black culture while inspiring audiences to persist in leaving their mark.
Before introducing Ledisi’s performance of “BLKWMN,” Perry shared a poignant anecdote about walking with his son on a beach. He recounted his son saying, “I’m walking in your footsteps,” to which Perry replied, “I said, ‘No, let’s walk together.’ We walked to the end of the beach and then he looked back and he saw all the footprints that he had left.”
Perry used this story to address a troubling trend, warning, “They are removing our books from libraries, they are removing our stories and our history, they are removing our names from government buildings. It’s as if someone wants to erase our footprints.”
He emphasized the resilience of Black history, stating, “But the truth of the matter, it’s impossible to erase our footprints because we left them on water. What I mean by that is, we were snatched from our homeland, brought across the ocean, and left footprints all the way to America.”
Calling for action, Perry declared, “This is not the time to be silent, this is not the time to give up – this is the time to dig in and keep leaving footprints everywhere you go.”
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Most time speeches are just speeches to me.
This Tyler Perry Speech from the BET Awards was something I needed to hear.
So I’ll share it for those who may need it too.
“Don’t let your worry be greater than your faith”
pic.twitter.com/WLf2WxGUAL— Zave (@zavetoldem) June 10, 2025
He also took a direct swipe at Hollywood, asserting, “I can tell you this, I have made more Black billionaires, hear me when I say this, than any studio in this city combined. Because I’m making footprints.”
Perry credited his success to his audience, particularly Black women, saying, “Black women have held me down and I appreciate you like you would not believe.”
The 2025 BET Awards, held at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles and hosted by Kevin Hart, saw Kendrick Lamar emerge as the night’s most decorated artist, winning five of his ten nominations. The event highlighted Black excellence across music, acting, and sports. See the full winners list HERE.
MORE FROM EURWEB.COM: Tyler Perry’s ‘Divorced Sistas’ Trailer Teases Heartfelt Drama and Sisterhood on BET+
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