‘They’re trying to erase us, keep leaving footprints’

The powerhouse behind Straw, Sistas, Madea, and countless Black stories came with a message, and he delivered it like a man who knows his mic is on and the world is listening.

Before soul powerhouse Ledisi hit the stage with “BLKWMN,” Perry shared a moment between him and his young son during a beach walk. The kind of moment you think is just cute, until it hits you with a full-circle truth bomb.

“My son said, ‘I’m walking in your footsteps,’” Perry recalled. “And I told him, ‘No, let’s walk together.’” They strolled side by side to the end of the shore.

When they looked back, the beach was covered in the child’s own trail. Aww, right? But then Perry turned that story into a metaphor that slammed harder than a season finale twist.

“Don’t miss this,” he warned. “They’re pulling our books off library shelves, scrubbing our names off buildings, and erasing our history like it’s a typo. It’s like someone wants to delete us entirely — like we were never here.”

But Perry wasn’t about to let that narrative slide without a comeback.

“Our footprints can’t be erased,” he declared. “We didn’t just leave them on land,  we left them on water. From Africa to America, we’ve been making marks since before this country even had a name.”

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And in classic Tyler Perry fashion, the speech wasn’t just about reflection; it was a rallying cry. “This is not the time to be silent,” he said, his voice rising. “This is the time to dig in, double down, and leave footprints everywhere you go.”

Then came the Hollywood call-out,  the kind that makes execs squirm a little in their designer seats.

Perry also made sure to send a bouquet of gratitude to the people who’ve lifted him through his journey: Black women.

“I love all my audience, but let’s be real, Black women have held me down like nobody else. I appreciate you more than you know,” he said, drawing cheers from the crowd.

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