Tyler Perry makes history opening first fully-black studio in US.

HARDCOPY DELIVERED ANYWHERE FOR $$2K + DHL FREE SHIPPING. CONTENT NARRATIVE by Jesusegun Alagbe It might not seem a big deal when a movie studio is opened, but when a black man does it, it is a big deal. This explained why last weekend, the rich and famous as well as Hollywood celebrities flew to Atlanta, Georgia, United States to witness the opening of the first fully-black studio owned by writer, producer and director, Tyler Perry. The landmark space features 12 soundstages named after Black Hollywood icons, including Denzel Washington, Oprah Winfrey, Halle Berry, Sydney Poitier, Della Reese, Spike Lee, Harry Belafonte, Cicely Tyson, Whoopi Goldberg, Will Smith and the late Diahann Carroll. The Tyler Perry Studios is not just a tribute to Black excellence, it is also significant because of the location on which it is sited. It is sprawled over 330 acres of land that was once a Confederate Army base. During the American Civil War (1861-1865), the Confederate Army, comprising mainly White soldiers, used African Americans as slaves on a range of projects, including mining and infrastructure. It was this base, formerly the Fort McPherson Army base, that Perry bought for $30m (N10.8bn) in 2015 and spent $250m (N90bn) on to build his studio. “The studio was once a Confederate Army base, which meant there were Confederate soldiers on that base, plotting and planning on how to keep 3.9 million Blacks enslaved. Now, that land is owned by one Black,” Perry said at the BET Awards in June 2019. Though Perry is not from Atlanta (he is from New Orleans, Louisiana), he told over 800 guests at the reception last weekend that he developed a love for the city when he arrived in 1992 struggling to make it as a movie creator, self-financing his plays while being homeless and living out of his car. He said, “This may sound cliché, but the Tyler Perry Studios, being the home of Dr (Martin Luther) King and having ‘the dream’ and being able to come here and live here. “I’m telling you when I first came here, I saw Black people doing well, which blew my mind. This is what I tell people – exposure is so important. If you see it, that means you can do it. “And when I got here, I saw something, something vibrated in me that I thought, ‘This is where you need to be.’ So to see all of this happening and know that that moment was right, that was my God’s voice leading me here, that’s been really phenomenal.” A testament to Perry’s influence and goodwill in Hollywood, his studio’s opening drew political and entertainment icons such as former US President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Yolanda Adams, P Diddy, Chris Tucker, Don Lemon, Spike Lee, Samuel L Jackson, Denzel Washington, Oprah Winfrey, Beyoncé and husband Jay-Z, Tyrese, Taraji P Henson, Halle Berry, Colin Kaepernick and Usher. Beyoncé posted a caption to her pictures posted on Instagram at the event, saying she could not stop crying over the significance of Perry’s studio. She wrote, “I could feel our ancestors’ presence. Generations of blood, sweat and tears, success, excellence and brilliance. It makes me so proud, so full, I could not stop crying. “Thank you my Virgo brother (referring to Perry) for so much love and passion put into every detail. My prayer today is that you will take it all in. You inspire me to dream even bigger.” A former US First Lady Michelle Obama was also among those who congratulated Perry on his history-making. She wrote on her Twitter page, @MichelleObama, “So much love for @TylerPerry, who just opened the first major film studio lot fully owned by an African American. Barack and I couldn’t be more proud of you – thanks for showing that no matter what, progress keeps marching forward. What an inspiration.” As for Perry himself, he talked about the “God-given” opportunity to open his own studio and reflected on the influence of his mother in his life. He said, “It was my mother who taught me about faith. No matter what was going on in the house, she taught me about faith and God. Nobody is teaching kids enough about faith (today). “About how to pray your way through a situation rather than turning to drugs or some other alternative. If my mother hadn’t given me that, I don’t know where I would be.” He also highlighted one special person in attendance who influenced him – Winfrey. He said, “In 2005, Oprah invited me to her Legends Ball. I saw Diana Ross, Smokey Robinson, Tom Cruise and Sidney Poitier, and I said, ‘What am I doing here?’ I didn’t know I said it out loud, but Yolanda Adams was sitting next to me and she said, ‘You belong here.’ “By the end of the party, I said, ‘I’m going to dream bigger.’ It was something about being in Oprah’s house, being in her presence, seeing what a black person had accomplished – it really, really spoke to me.” To cap off the elaborate event, the entertainment mogul hosted a church service, which featured performances by a gospel choir and the Clark Sisters, as well as a sermon delivered by Bishop TD Jakes. Perry’s rough childhood Perry was born on September 13, 1969, to a carpenter, Emmitt Perry, and Willie Maxine Perry. He has three siblings. Perry said he faced hardship while growing up and once said his father’s answer to everything he did was to “beat it out of you.” As a child, he once attempted suicide in an effort to escape his father’s beatings. In contrast to his father, his mother took him to church each week, where he said he sensed a certain refuge and contentment. At age 16, he had his first name legally changed from Emmitt to Tyler in an effort to distance himself from his father. Many years later, after seeing the film ‘Precious,’ Perry was moved to reveal for the first time that he had been molested by a friend’s mother at 10. He was also molested by three men prior to this and later learned his own father had molested his friend. In his early 2000s, while watching an episode of ‘The Oprah Winfrey Show,’ Perry said he heard someone describe the therapeutic effect the act of writing could have, enabling one to work out any problem. He said this comment inspired him to apply himself to a career in writing. Since then, he started writing and producing many stage plays and developing television series. On October 2, 2012, he struck an exclusive multi-year partnership with Winfrey and her network, the Oprah Winfrey Network. The partnership was said to be largely successful. In 2006, Perry established his own studio, which had a revenue of $900m (N324bn) as of 2016. The studio previously occupied a 200,000 square feet building in the Greenbriar area of southwest Atlanta. However, Perry sold it in 2018 to a film production company. About a year later, he opened a new N100bn studio which was described as “historic.” Perry doesn’t just produce or act in movies, he is an award-winning author. His first book, ‘Don’t Make a Black Woman Take Off Her Earrings: Madea’s Uninhibited Commentaries on Love and Life,’ published in 2006, sold 30,000 copies. The hardcover reached number one on the New York Times Best Seller list for 12 weeks. It was voted Book of the Year and Best Humour Book at the 2006 Quill Awards. His second book, ‘Higher is Waiting,’ published in November 2017, debuted at number 5 on the New York Times Bestseller list. On October 1, 2019, Perry received the 2,675th star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. He was introduced by actors Kerry Washington and Idris Elba. Perry had once directed Washington and Elba in movies.” Net worth, cars and house Perry’s net worth is estimated to be about $600m (N216bn) and earns an annual income of about $80m (N28.8bn) from his ‘Madea’ movies as well as his extensive TV show writing, directing and producing gigs. He is estimated to have sold approximately $100m (N36bn) worth of tickets to his plays before even getting started in Hollywood film-making. Perry is indeed rich and lives a luxurious lifestyle to attest to that. The entertainment mogul has reportedly been seen driving round in luxury vehicles such as the Rolls-Royce Ghost, Bentley GT sports coupe and a private Gulfstream III jet. Among his houses is a $14.5m (N5.2bn) Beverly Hills mansion. The seven-bed, 11-bath estate, which sits on the coveted Beverly Hills stretch of Mulholland Drive, spans 17,245-square-feet and sits atop a hill that overlooks the City of Angels. The house was reportedly built in 1992 and features floor-to-ceiling glass walls to let in maximum light, with angular ceilings and pyramid-shaped skylights that add an airy touch to the mansion’s unique silhouette. The property also features a koi pond and stream, as well as a resort-style swimming pool with rock sculpture, slide and grotto. Outside, the property features professional-quality tennis courts and an outdoor dining terrace, as well as a garage that can accommodate 30 cars.