Oprah Winfrey and Chris Rock shared warm words about the “talented, crazy” mogul
The 72nd annual Primetime Emmy Awards were full of powerful moments, but when Tyler Perry accepted the coveted Governor’s Award, his speech served up the inspiration we need.
Oprah Winfrey and Chris Rock presented the award to the billionaire described as “talented and crazy.” In his touching acceptance remarks, the 51-year-old content creator, actor, philanthropist, and studio head told a story about a quilt his grandmother gave to him and likely prompted tons of tears from viewers at home.
“This is amazing. I didn’t expect to feel this way,” he said before sharing the anecdote that highlighted the strength and impact of storytelling about our community and collective experiences.
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“When I was about 19 years old, I left home and my grandmother, she gave me a quilt that she had made. And this quilt was something I didn’t really care for. It had all these different colors and these different patches in it. And I was quite embarrassed by it. I had no value in it at all,” he said.
Years later, he explained, he saw a similar-looking quilt at an antique shop and was shocked when he learned its significance, and that it was made by a former slave.
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“I became so embarrassed…Here I was, a person who prides myself on celebrating our heritage, our culture, and I didn’t even recognize the value in my grandmother’s quilt. 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 continued.
“I stand here tonight to say thank you to all of the people who are celebrating and know the value of every patch, and every story, and every color that makes up this quilt that is our business, this quilt that is our lives, this quilt that is America…Because in my grandmother’s quilt, there are no patches that represented Black people on television…But in my quilt, her grandson is being celebrated by the Television Academy. I thank you for this. God bless you.”
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Check out his full speech below:
The post Tyler Perry honored with Emmys Governor’s Award: “We’re all sewing our own quilts” appeared first on TheGrio.
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