Tyler Perry was awarded by Governors title at Emmys 2020 on Sept. 20 in order to praise his unparalleled participation in the entertainment industry through television. While accepting the award, Perry told an emotional story to salute the past of his family.
Chris Rock and Oprah Winfrey highlighted the accomplishments of the 51-year-old actor and spoke about the groundbreaking work done by him in order to step up the game of television. Winfrey and Rock also noted his The Perry Foundation that helps to get diversity.
As Perry received the award he confessed that never thought of having such intense feeling. However, he went on to share a story of him when he was 19-year-old regarding his grandmom. The actor disclosed that his grandmother made him a quilt that made him felt embarrassed.
Fast forward to his success, once he was able to afford expensive things the actor went to a fancy store to find antiques. He spotted a look-alike quilt that his grandmother used to make. He further revealed that an attendant explained to him the history and essence of the quilt, which eventually made him understand the importance.
The attendant said that African American women used to be slaves before and every patch stands for something valuable in their life. Perry confessed feeling abashed recalling the quilt made by his grandmother.
"I dismissed her work and her story because it didn't look like what I thought it should. Now whether we know it or not, we are all sewing our own quilts with our thoughts, our behaviors, our experiences, and our memories," he explained.
Perry also revealed his upbringing by his mother, who used to tell him not to depend on white people for anything in life. He said that his mother who lived in a different era, couldn't believe that he could own land in a place that was once the base of the Confederate Army.
The Haves and the Have Nots star thanked everyone who celebrates and understands the value of every story and every patch. Perry also said that every shade that makes a quilt is America, his business, and important in his life.
Perry noted that during his grandmother's time there used to be no patches in the quilt because that's how television represented Black lives at that time. However, her grandson has been awarded by the Television Academy award, which means a lot.