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Tyler Perry is treating the 65 day campers who were ejected from the Philadelphia-area Valley Swim Club to the vacation of a lifetime. Perry is stepping in to help heal the scars and hearts of the kids, who believe they were rejected because they were "too dark to swim." Here's what Perry had to say:
Since you all have put me in the position to be able to do something, I feel like by me doing this, we are all doing it together.
So what I did was on Aug 1st through the 3rd, I'm sending these kids to Disney World and then to a Disney water park. I want them to know that for every act of evil that a few people will throw at you, there are millions more who will do something kind for them. This is all about the kids. So, thank you for letting me do this. Thank you so much.
Source: TylerPerry.com
Six Degrees of Tyler Perry
Six Degrees of Tyler Perry
In just three years, Tyler Perry has become the toast of Hollywood. Could you name another director black or white who can boast of having released six feature movie projects within a three year period? Nope. Not only did the New Orleans native write all of the storylines for the films, he starred in four. Combined, five of the films have grossed upwards of $250 million worldwide, some within budgets below $6 million. And with the major money train also comes associating with some of the biggest names in and out of the entertainment business. BlackVoices.com takes an introspective look at how a former homeless man turned chit'lin circuit theater czar has connections to the likes of Michael Jackson, Denzel Washington, Whitney Houston and Will Smith, to name a few. Check out Six Degrees of Tyler Perry.
Tyler Perry
The best-selling playwright turned Hollywood hot-shot (real name: Emmitt R. Perry, Jr.) was born Sept. 14, 1969 in New Orleans, Louisiana.
Ray Nagin
Another New Orleans native, Ray Nagin, Jr. was elected into the office of Mayor of the Crescent City on March 6, 2002.
Labelle
Known as the music capitol of the Gulf Coast, New Orleans was also the setting for 'Lady Marmalade,' a hit song from 1970s glam-soul trio Labelle, comprised of Patti LaBelle, Nona Hendryx and Sara Dash.
Lenny Kravitz
Modern day rock & roll demigod Lenny Kravitz is one of the top-notch talents chosen to produce Labelle's long-awaited reunion album, 'Back to Now,' due out later this year via Verve Records.
Lisa Bonet
'The Cosby Show' and 'A Different World' star Lisa Bonet eloped with Lenny Kravitz in November 1987. Their daughter Zoe Isaballe Kravitz was born the next year. The couple separated in 1991.
Gary Dourdan
'C.S.I.' actor Gary Dourdan played Cree Summer's character's love interest Shazza Zulu on the NBC sitcom 'A Different World,' which was originally developed as a spin-off vehicle for Lisa Bonet. The Philadelphia native appeared on 13 episodes from 1991 to 1992.
Janet Jackson
Gary Dourdan also played the love interest of Janet Jackson in the music video for her chart-topping ballad, 'Again,' in 1993.
Tyler Perry
Janet Jackson starred in the lead role of Tyler Perry's box office smash, 'Why Did I Get Married?' The twice divorced pop star won an NAACP Image Award for her performance.
Ruben Cannon
One of the most respected executives in Hollywood, Ruben Cannon has served as a casting director of film and TV projects dating all the way back to 1977. He co-executive produced Tyler Perry's 'Why Did I Get Married?'
And Perry continues:
And do me a favor please. When you see these kids coming through the airport (I'm sure you won't be able to miss them; I imagine they are going to be superexcited), when you see them in the park and in the hotel, let's show them a whole lot of love and respect. Show them that they are just as good as anyone else. And show them that they can do or be anything they want to be no matter what anyone says! Source: TylerPerry.com
It's nice to see Perry use his considerable wealth and cultural power to get directly involved in a situation that moved him. I hope this vacation expands the notion of possibility in the minds of the day campers and helps them understand that they are worthy of all the best the world has to offer.
Comments: (1205)
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By: Baddkitty on 8/16/2009 12:06AM
hey lizard,
what in the hell do you mean when the situation, became dangerous. and unfortunetly these kids where put in a situation, that only a true racist would put onto children. it was dangerous because they where black bottom line. put your head back in your butt
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By: Iris on 7/22/2009 10:00PM
I'm glad he did that for those kids. At least someone in the world still has love and caring traits in his heart!
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By: Martha on 7/22/2009 3:38PM
Thank you for your plays. They have help me through a lot of hard times. Keep me beliving that there is a good ending as long as we keep our faith in the Almighty God. The devil is here to destroy. God has given you a gift to over ride him. You reach the word in no way others have. thank you . May God protect and keep you safe and giving to us his mwssages through sight and the written word. I will keep buying your movies and plays for myself and to my grandchildren. I pray God will put on your heart
a way to give the message to all that we are loseing our morals with the act of sex before marrage. Braking the structure of family,childern bring children in this world with no hope of family sturcture. No closeness in Gods word.All you see from the entertainers that sex is oky with out marrage. There is no committment . The act of sex in this world is what our youth belive to be the act of love. I wish they could see that love comes with respect ,commitment to one person for life not just the moment. That the giving of ones body to another is the ultimate give one can give and it should be as God asked in marrage first. Keep up your good works maybe God will give you the
way to give the message that sex is not the act of love before marrage.
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By: melanie on 7/22/2009 2:13PM
Thank you Tyler for being such a sweet man and caring person.
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By: Koz on 7/22/2009 2:15PM
Well finally a man steps up to help his own.
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By: Leo on 7/22/2009 3:58PM
No, These children are not his own, they are all ours, the color should not be the reason for the action, lets all RED, BROWN, YELLOW, BLACK, AND WHITE, heavy, thin, and in between, older, younger and all the diferent folk that make up the world and not just in America, come together to right the wrong and heal the hurt. Its not only the Black/Afro Marican children that suffer in America and the world today. Good examples; Appalachian whites, many of the Native people in the USA, poor children in the large cities. Poverty also hurts and comes in all shades.
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By: Myron Papadakis on 7/22/2009 2:16PM
Congratulations Mr Perry. You did a really wonderful and charitable thing.
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By: Donna on 7/22/2009 2:16PM
What a wonderful thing for Tyler to do. I know these children will have a wonderful time, sadly the memory of such disgusting treatment will remain. Things like this make me ashamed to be white. Many thanks to Tyler for such a wonderful gift.
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By: Donna on 7/22/2009 2:18PM
Well he did what all of us should do....step up to help our own....we are all the same, skin color makes no difference.
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By: algonquin j. calhoun on 7/22/2009 2:18PM
fine. good. lovely gesture. which makes me wonder if tyler perry is going to follow these 65 kids around for the rest of their lives and be there for them every time someone does something that hurts their feelings...it's gonna take a lotta trips to disney world, tyler, to make up for every slight that these people are going to experience in life.
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