The man who created Madea and turned her into a nearly $650 million dollar film franchise is known to dream big. But writer, director and philanthropist Tyler Perry also challenges those around him to dream big too. So when one imagines as much as Perry and then, makes it happen, what’s left to do? Keep dreaming!
With impressive career that laid the path for him to change the game for Black talent in Hollywood, Perry has changed history with the grand opening of The Tyler Perry Studios in Atlanta, Georgia—the largest independently owned studio by an African American. ESSENCE was at the grand opening and asked Perry to share what his next dream is.
And he said, “You know what, right now I’m dreaming about how do I build this shelter for trafficked girls, boys and battered women.”
During an interview with Gayle King for CBS, Perry expanded his thoughts on his shelter to include LGBTQ youth who are displaced.
Perry told King, “Having a compound that is a beautiful place right here somewhere on this 330 acres, where they’re trained in the business and they become self-sufficient, they live in nice apartments, there’s daycare, there’s all of these wonderful things that allows them to re-enter society and then pay it forward again. That’s what I hope to do soon.”
It’s clear Perry uses his wealth to help shift the world and if it were up to him, there would be no such thing as the disenfranchised.
Check out the video above to see Tyler Perry talk about his dream for homeless and displaced youth and women.