Historical Marker, 16-Year-Old Lynching Victim, Robert Mosley, Alabama

by Daniel Johnson

December 8, 2024

Historical Marker For 16-Year-Old Lynching Victim Robert Mosley Unveiled 134 Years Later

Mosley was killed after a white woman accused him of burying her alive, sparking a mob of over 500 white citizens.

A historical marker in honor of Robert Mosley, an 1890 victim of a lynching in Huntsville, Alabama, was unveiled on Dec. 7, an effort between the Madison County Remembrance Project and the Equal Justice Initiative.

According to WAFF, Mosley, 16, was killed for allegedly committing what was described as an outrage of modesty, the same kind of violation of white supremacist social norms prevalent in the Jim Crow South that resulted in Emmett Till’s murder nearly 60 years later in Mississippi.

David Person, a co-founder of the Madison Remembrance Project, said the installation is part of a larger effort to install markers near where at least 10 people have been lynched in the Alabama county.

“Our objective is to try to commemorate all of those lives so we hope to be able to see markers installed in the proximity of those events over the course of the next several years,” Person told WAFF.

“What happened here and in other places around Huntsville, it was wrong. Simply put, it was wrong,” Carl Cooney Jr., a member of the Prince Hall Masons of Alabama, told WAFF. “It was a bad spot on our American history, however each one we remember, each one that we commemorate places us a step further as a country and garners more togetherness.”

According to Person, getting the monument erected took seven years.

“[It’s] something we believe will not only document a horrible historic occurrence but also give us an opportunity as a community to reckon with these kinds of evils hopefully in a way that will prevent them from happening in the future to anybody,” Person said.

According to Fox 54, Mosley was killed after a white woman accused him of burying her alive, sparking a mob of over 500 white citizens, which hung Mosley from a tree and discarded his body nearby.

“I think the best way to heal the wound is to actually have something like this,” Donald Yamamoto-McCrary, a resident of Hunstville who learned about Mosley’s abbreviated life from the marker, told Fox 54. “It needs to be put back on the operating table. It needs to be addressed. More people need to know about it.”

“You can’t enjoy the light without the darkness. You can’t enjoy the good history without knowing the bad history. We need to start at the micro level. Be kind to your neighbor, regardless of who your neighbor is, regardless of what color they are, what is their national origin.”

Wesley Bell, St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney

by Nahlah Abdur-Rahman

December 8, 2024

St. Louis County Marks Wesley Bell Day To Recognize County’s First Black Prosecutor

Next stop for Bell: the House of Representatives.

St. Louis officially declared Wesley Bell Day on Dec. 6 to honor the county’s first Black prosecutor.

According to Fox 2, local leaders held a celebratory event at the St. Louis County Department of Justice as County Executive Sam Page made the declaration.

“To me, it is a testament to the men and women of the St. Louis County Prosecutor’s Office who wake up every day with the idea of public safety, with the idea of treating our victims with the dignity and respect that they deserve, and keeping this region safe,” said Bell, who has held the role since 2019. “In that way, it’s a big honor.”

Bell took over as the St. Louis County’s prosecuting attorney after beating long-time Democratic incumbent Bob McCulloch in the primary.

Following McCulloch’s controversial decision not to prosecute the officer who fatally shot Black teen Michael Brown in 2014, Bell ran a campaign that prioritized criminal justice reform. His platform included community-based policing and progressive policies regarding marijuana, the latter enacted shortly after he took office.

During his tenure, Bell established the Diversion Committee and the Incident Review Unit, which allows people who believe they have been wrongfully convicted to petition for the prosecuting attorney to review their case. Bell considers the measure, the first to be created in the country, a stride for criminal justice reform.

However, Bell will now serve his St. Louis on a national scale. He was recently elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, serving Missouri’s first district.

“This job as well as my soon-to-be job is about the work,” he added. “It’s about representing the interests of my constituents. The people right here in this region.”

The race to appoint Bell’s successor, a battle between Page and Missouri Governor Mike Parson, wages on. Page has already announced his pick for the next prosecuting attorney, but the GOP leader has his own plans to make the appointment.

by Nahlah Abdur-Rahman

December 8, 2024

Black Jacksonville Couple Files Discrimination Lawsuit Against Walmart After Being Falsely Accused Of Stealing

Raymond and Nekeeya Brewster were accused of stealing children's clothes from a Walmart in Jacksonville's Northside neighborhood.

A Black Jacksonville, Florida, couple wants to hold Walmart accountable after they were falsely accused of stealing from one of its stores.

In October, Raymond and Nekeeya Brewster were accused of stealing children’s clothes from a Walmart in Jacksonville’s Northside neighborhood. They decided to return the items the following day, but Nekeeya stated she was unaware of the best course of action to do so.

“She decided the smart thing to do was to put the clothes and the receipt for the clothes in the original Walmart bag, and then tie that bag shut,” detailed the suit obtained by News4Jax.

Before heading to the register to return the clothes, Nekeeya put the bag in the cart and went to the department to find the correct size. She hoped to purchase the better-fitting item while obtaining a refund.

However, while at customer service, someone with Walmart’s loss prevention claimed she put something in her bag. The couple was with their children, including a baby held in Nekeeya’s arms, at the time.

Despite trying to show the receipt, the employee insisted that cameras caught them putting a pair of maroon pants illegally in their bag. Jacksonville police arrived and “required” the entire family to enter a small front office at the store for further investigation.

“We get into this room,” the father of three recounts. “They close the door. The room is probably like a 10 by 10, like it’s really small. So, you know, it’s like me, my three daughters, my wife, two loss prevention guys and two officers.”

The JSO officers questioned the employee about why they were not notified about the receipt. After the hour-long ordeal, the police allowed the family to leave.

The store did not provide the footage supporting the employee’s claims of Nekeeya Brewster stealing. The situation left the couple feeling “humiliated,” leading them to file a discrimination lawsuit against the retail giants.

“I go there all the time, shop there all the time, and what happened to us was unimaginable,” continued Raymond Brewster. “I never expected that to happen.”

Their lawsuit seeks damages, among other fees, for claims ranging from profiling to wrongful imprisonment and defamation.

The news also comes after Walmart received backlash from the Black community over its rollback on DEI initiatives and practices. The company will no longer conduct racial equity training for employees, which could lead to more instances of racial profiling.

by Nahlah Abdur-Rahman

December 8, 2024

New Orleans Bestows Historic Marker On Black Business District Forced Out By Interstate Construction

From the 1830s until the 1970s, Black people used the area to shop.

New Orleans has bestowed a historic marker on a Black business district shut down by the development of an interstate highway.

According to Nola.com, the marker was a project fulfilled by the Plessy and Ferguson Initiative. Founded by the descendants of the men involved in the Plessy v. Ferguson case, which legalized segregation in the United States, the organization worked with other community groups to place the marker under the Claiborne overpass.

Before its upheaval, Black New Orleans residents could find shops owned by fellow members of their community on Claiborne Avenue. Racial discrimination originally restricted who could shop on the famous Canal Street. Given this, Black people instead flocked to the area to get everything from groceries to funeral arrangements.

The retail hub was home to multiple Black-owned businesses, with emerging and established entrepreneurs setting up shop for generations. Comprised of pharmacies, theaters, studios, and more, it helped sustain the vibrant Black culture in the area. It reigned as the main street of Black New Orleans from the 1830s until the 1970s.

The street once showcased a picturesque canopy of oak trees surrounding bustling businesses. However, its decline began with the expansion of roads in the southern state. The oak trees were the first casualties, cleared to make way for the construction of Interstate 10, and soon after, the district’s thriving entrepreneurs faced a similar fate.

Many of the residents recall not knowing about the impending project until the trees started to fall. Raynard Sanders, historian and executive director of the Claiborne Avenue History Project, remembered the feeling among the community.

“It was a devastation for those of us that were here,” said Sanders to the news outlet. “I was on my way to school and they were just tearing down oak trees. We had no forewarning.”

Despite its eventual decline, the district remains integral to Black New Orleans’ entrepreneurial legacy. Now, the city will have a physical reminder of the historic hub where Black business owners could thrive. They celebrated the marker’s unveiling in true New Orleans fashion with a second line that danced to Claiborne Avenue.

“The importance of the marker is to commemorate the businesses, the beautiful trees and the beautiful people that thrived in this area before the bridge came and the survival now of people who are still proud and gather under the bridge,” also said Keith Plessy, a descendant of Homer Plessy.

The upliftment of local Black businesses continues. Patrons and owners alike hope to evoke the spirit of Claiborne’s original entrepreneurs by empowering this community.

by Nahlah Abdur-Rahman

December 8, 2024

Akron Mayor Calls Teen’s Shooting ‘Deeply Troubling’ After Fatal Police Encounter

The newly released body camera footage does not provide full context into Tucker's actions that led to the shooting.

City officials in Akron, Ohio, were left with more questions after bodycam footage of a boy fatally shot by police was released on Dec. 5.

According to the Associated Press, an Akron officer fatally shot Jazmir Tucker on Nov. 28. The police stated that Tucker had a loaded weapon, and two officers found the 15-year-old that evening while investigating a scene after hearing gunshots. The officers ran after Tucker, with one firing at and hitting him during the chase. Tucker was reportedly given first aid and transported to a nearby hospital. Medical professionals pronounced him dead at the scene.

The newly released body camera footage does not provide full context into Tucker’s actions that led to the shooting. The visual recount of what occurred has left the boy’s family and many community leaders, such as Akron Mayor Shammas Malik, troubled by the fatal encounter.

The eight-minute clip only shows the officer’s arms and gun. The officer raised his rifle and fired seven shots at the Tucker. The video was without sound in the first 30 seconds of the clip.

The other officer’s footage shows him unzipping Tucker’s jacket to reveal a handgun. Furthermore, the video showed a group of officers surrounding Tucker minutes after he fell to the ground. While he was unresponsive, the officers handcuffed him and searched his pockets. The video did not show any efforts made to ensure he was alive.

In response to the video, Malik called the situation “deeply troubling.” He also noted how long law enforcement took to administer aid to the teenager.

“In hindsight, the amount of time that expired between the shooting and the initiation of physical aid to Jazmir is deeply troubling to me,” Malik said in the statement.

Akron Police Chief Brian Harding echoed similar statements of wanting answers to what exactly prompted the boy’s death. He also shared his hopes that a thorough investigation will offer the clarity Tucker’s community and family deserve.

“Our community, our department, and most importantly, Jazmir’s family deserve and need answers to those questions,” Harding said.

Tucker’s family also spoke out on the loss, calling him a “great kid” loved by his community. While tragedy has impacted the city, the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation continues its probe. Akron Police placed the two officers initially involved on administrative leave.

by Daniel Johnson

December 8, 2024

BlackGirlDisney Influencer Dominique Brown Dies From Allergic Reaction At Event

Several other influencers are calling out event host BoxLunch for its 'insensitive' response.

Dominique Brown, a 34-year-old Black social media influencer and co-creator of the online community BlackGirlDisney, passed away on Dec. 5 after experiencing a severe allergic reaction at a BoxLunch-hosted event. Reports suggest she had informed the company about her food allergies before the event.

According to US Weekly, multiple influencers at the event took to X to issue statements about what happened to Brown, including that attendees informed the company of foods they were allergic to.

BoxLunch did not immediately provide a statement on the platform; many users complained that the company continued to post holiday advertisements on its X account without mentioning Brown.

Others noted that a statement BoxLunch emailed attendees seemed “insensitive.”

Let me be clear.

These are THE most insensitive brand emails I’ve ever received and going forward I WILL NOT be working with boxlunch anymore.

They clearly do not care about their creators, their safety or us in general. pic.twitter.com/RhFdCpxemu
— MelaninOnTheMove (@hecallsmePP) December 8, 2024

This is horrific and devastating. A Black woman influencer, Dominique Brown, goes to an influencer event hosted by BoxLunch and dies from a food allergy even though she notified staff of her allergens. How could this happen?!!https://t.co/U9fkXOgZ1p
— gati ⍟ (@youIovemelikexo) December 7, 2024

I’m bringing attention to Dominique Brown for that purpose. & because BoxLunch hasn’t said anything publicly WHILE creators who were at the event are. Some even posting about how “great” the event was.

The company who invited her to that event need to be the ones to address this
— Ms. Andry Noir, PhD (@keatingssixth) December 7, 2024

BoxLunch shared the same statement with US Weekly on Dec. 7, after the outlet reached out to them for comment regarding Brown’s death.

“We are devastated by the passing of Dominique Brown, a beloved member of the BoxLunch Collective, who suffered a medical emergency at an event hosted by BoxLunch Thursday in Los Angeles,” BoxLunch said in the statement. “Our hearts go out to her family and friends, and we will do everything we can to support them and the members of the BoxLunch Collective and our team during this painful time.”

Although some users spread a narrative that BoxLunch refused to call 911 after Brown suffered the reaction to a food allergy, a source told US Weekly that 911 was called immediately. The unnamed source also corroborated statements from influencers that the company had given a list of food allergens to the venue that provided the food.

Per US Weekly, BoxLunch is conducting an independent investigation into what led to the incident.

Brown created BlackGirlDisney in 2018 alongside another influencer, Mia Von, after noticing a lack of representation in Disney influencers. The pair aimed to create a more welcoming space for Black and other women of color who are Disney fans.

Brown’s brother reached out to his sister’s followers via a comment underneath her last Instagram post, writing on Dec. 6, “Hi everyone, this is @pramos313 – Dominique’s brother. I wanted to take a a moment to say thank you to her social media fam for showing her so much love and light. Disney did bring her joy, but it was unparalleled that she found a community who loved her and Disney as much as she did. I will miss my sister and best friend and that infectious smile she always had. Thank you, truly, from the bottom of my heart. ❤️🥺.”

In addition to her brother, several Disney influencers shared their own tributes to Brown, who created content under the name HellooDomo.

Underneath Brown’s last video post, Tatiana Kelley, whose screen name is Dapper on the Daily, wrote, “The kindest most genuine person in this community …we will miss you Domo💛,thank you for touching our lives with your joy & wit & for being so incredibly welcoming to us all🤍🕊️.”

Katy Lane, known as Main St. Muse, wrote, “I’m so happy I got to hug you last week. Your positivity and passion for life will always inspire me ❤️ you were and will continue to be the good in the world Dom.”

by Daniel Johnson

December 8, 2024

Gov. Walz On Election Loss: ‘I Fully Don’t See How’ Trump Is Seen As A Middle-Class Champion

Walz, Kamala Harris' running mate, expressed surprise that America rejected their largely positive campaign messaging.

In his first public comments since the Democratic Party lost the presidential election, Vice President Kamala Harris’ running mate, Tim Walz, expressed surprise that Americans did not respond better to the largely positive message of the Democratic ticket.

According to The New York Times, Walz told KSTP-TV in Minneapolis that he expected a better response than he and Harris received at the ballot box in November.

“It felt like at the rallies, at the things I was going to, the shops I was going in, that the momentum was going our way, and it obviously wasn’t at the end,” Walz said. “So yeah, I was a little surprised. I thought we had a positive message, and I thought the country was ready for that.”

Walz’s frank admission contrasts sharply with that of some senior campaign members, including David Plouffe, a senior advisor, who said on a recent episode of “Pod Save America” that he expected the Democrats to lose the election.

“The political atmosphere, the desire for change, all those fundamentals that you’ve spent a lot of time talking about really presented huge challenges for us,” Plouffe explained on the podcast.

Osita Nwanevu, a contributor for The New Republic and author of the upcoming book The Right of the People, argued in an interview with Vox that institutional factors also contributed to the Democratic Party’s loss, particularly their delay in pivoting away from President Joe Biden.

“But I think the one thing you can indict Democrats for in general in this election more than anything else, even more than the particular messaging decisions they made over the course of this campaign, was how long it took for them to realize that Joe Biden was not going to be a viable candidate. That’s the original sin of this election,” Nwanevu said.

In his comments, Walz also noted that Trump’s idea of becoming a champion of the middle class seems at odds with his economic policies, particularly his tax and tariff policies. He also questioned whether the Democratic message was the right one.

“To have Donald Trump seen as a champion of the middle class, I fully don’t see how that would happen, but I recognize that’s where people voted,” Walz told WCCO-TV. “I think we have to both decide, is the message the right one?”

by Daniel Johnson

December 8, 2024

Lizzo Scores Legal Win In Lawsuit Over Stylist’s Racial And Sexual Harassment Allegations

A Los Angeles judge has ruled that Lizzo cannot be sued individually in a lawsuit filed by Daniels, as Daniels has already sued the singer's touring and payroll companies.

Lizzo scored a victory on Dec. 2 in her legal battle against her former stylist, Asha Daniels.

A Los Angeles judge has ruled that Lizzo cannot be sued individually in a racial and sexual harassment lawsuit filed by Daniels, as Daniels has already brought claims against the singer’s touring and payroll companies.

According to Deadline, the judge also agreed with a motion to dismiss several of Daniels’ claims because they did not meet jurisdictional requirements.

Lizzo has previously denied these allegations publicly, writing in a statement addressing the lawsuit, “These sensationalized stories are coming from former employees who have already publicly admitted that they were told their behavior on tour was inappropriate and unprofessional.”

According to Rolling Stone, U.S. District Judge Fernando Aenlle-Rocha ruled that Lizzo and her tour manager, Carlina Gugliotta, but not the other entities, were to be removed from the lawsuit entirely.

Ron Zambrano, Daniels’ lawyer, told the outlet that Lizzo and her tour manager would still have to give depositions regarding the case.

“Lizzo’s company was not dismissed,” Zambrano said. “The lawsuit still exists as to Lizzo’s companies…Lizzo and her tour manager will still be deposed in this matter.”

Martin D. Singer, a lawyer representing the singer, however, celebrated the ruling from the district judge, telling Rolling Stone, “We are very pleased that the court dismissed every claim against Lizzo and the overtime wages claim against all of our clients, including Big Grrrl Touring in this specious lawsuit filed by Asha Daniels,” Singer explained. “My client never should have been sued in this matter and [we] are evaluating suing Asha Daniels and her attorneys for malicious prosecution. We are very confident that Big Grrrl Touring will also prevail in this action.”

Daniels initially filed her lawsuit in Sept. 2023, on the heels of another lawsuit from three of Lizzo’s former dancers.

All of the complainants’ allegations depict a similar hostile workplace environment and instances they describe as sexual harassment.

Although Lizzo’s lawyers said that Daniels’ lawsuit contained “meritless and salacious” claims and came from a “disgruntled” former employee, the lawsuits and social media backlash were enough to prompt the singer to consider leaving the industry altogether, according to an Instagram post in March 2024.

“I’m getting tired of putting up with being dragged by everyone in my life and on the internet. All I want is to make music and make people happy and help the world be a little better than how I found it,” she wrote at the time. “I’m constantly up against lies being told about me for clout & views…being the butt of the joke every single time because of how I look…my character being picked apart by people who don’t know me and disrespecting my name.”

by Daniel Johnson

December 8, 2024

Belgian Court Rules Colonial-Era Family Separations Were Crimes Against Humanity, Awards Reparations To Victims

The government will have to pay reparations to the families of five mixed-race women who were forcibly separated from their families in the colonial-era Belgian Congo.

In his 1899 semi-autobiographical novella Heart of Darkness, author Joseph Conrad explored the horrors of colonialism, which centered on the exploitation and oppression of African people in what is now the Democratic Republic of the Congo by Belgium. On Dec. 2, a court in Belgium ruled that the country would now have to pay for its crimes against the Congolese people.

The Belgian Congo was a Belgian colony in Central Africa from 1908 until independence in 1960, when it became the Republic of the Congo.

According to the BBC, the government will have to pay reparations to the families of five mixed-race women forcibly separated from their families in the colonial-era Belgian Congo.

The women, who are now all in their 70s, are owed the compensation because they were taken from their mothers as young children and placed in various orphanages, which the court said was evidence of Belgium’s “plan to systematically search for and abduct children born to a Black mother and a white father.”

The panel of judges referred to the actions perpetuated by the Belgian government as a crime against humanity, calling the kidnappings of the women “an inhumane act of persecution.”

The ruling follows a legal case from Monique Bitu Bingi, Léa Tavares Mujinga, Noëlle Verbeken, Simone Ngalula, and Marie-José Loshi, launched in 2021.

Bingi previously characterized their abductions as a destruction in comments to the AFP News Agency.

“We were destroyed. Apologies are easy, but when you do something you have to take responsibility for it,” Bingi said.

Because the court ruled the actions of the Belgian government and the orphanages mostly managed by the Catholic Church a crime against humanity, there is no statute of limitations on their allegations against the Belgian government.

“The court orders the Belgian State to compensate the appellants for the moral damage resulting from the loss of their connection to their mother and the damage to their identity and their connection to their original environment,” the judges proclaimed.

In 2019, the Belgian government apologized publicly, two years after the Catholic Church did the same for its involvement in the forced removal of children from the custody of their mothers.

The case is the first to address the plight of an estimated 20,000 victims of family separation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Burundi, and Rwanda.

According to Michèle Hirsch, one of the plaintiff’s lawyers, “This is a victory and a historic judgment. It is the first time in Belgium and probably in Europe that a court has condemned the Belgian colonial state for crimes against humanity.”

Bingi, who was removed from the custody of her mother at three years old, told The Guardian that the women jumped for joy when they received the news.

“I am relieved,” she said. “The judges have recognized that this was a crime against humanity. We jumped for joy.”

According to their reporting, the Belgian government maintained order through white supremacy, and mixed-race children born through the union of white fathers and Congolese mothers represented a threat to this arrangement.

This arrangement was the brainchild of King Leopold II, who ruled the Congo from 1885 to 1908 when he ceded it to the Belgian state, which endeavored to fulfill his wishes.

The judges granted the women’s request for €50,000 ($52,852) in damages because if they lost, they would be liable for that amount.

In part, they arrived at their ruling because Belgium was a signatory of the Nuremberg tribunal statute, which was set up to convict members of the Nazi Party of their crimes during the Holocaust.

In addition to this judgment, the court also ruled that the government would be required to pay “more than €1m” ($1,057,050) in legal costs.

According to The Guardian, the girls were officially designated as “mulattoes,” an offensive term denoting a mixed person’s parentage, and had their documents falsified.

While at the Catholic missions, the girls were often told they were “children of sin” and received little care or rations from the nuns, who despised looking after the children.

Further, two of the girls were raped by members of a militia set up as the Congo gained its independence in 1960.

According to The Guardian, following a 2018 apology issued by then-Belgian prime minister Charles Michel, the government set up an official government body, the Résolution-Métis, to help people who had been taken from their parents to trace their origins, but has since declared that sources in that effort are “deficient and fragmentary.”

by Jeroslyn JoVonn

December 8, 2024

Tyler Perry Honored At Paley Center Gala: Oprah, Meghan Markle, And Kerry Washington Celebrate His Legacy

The stars came out to celebrate Tyler Perry being saluted at The Paley Honors Tribute Gala.

Oprah Winfrey, Meghan Markle, and Kerry Washington were among the many A-listers who attended the Paley Honors Tribute Gala on Wednesday to celebrate Tyler Perry’s recognition.

Variety reports that the multifaceted entertainer and media mogul was honored at The Paley Center for Media’s annual fall gala for his remarkable achievements over the past two decades as an actor, writer, director, producer, philanthropist, and owner of the 330-acre Tyler Perry Studios in Atlanta. Winfrey gave an impassioned salute to Perry to kick off the night and celebrate her “big little brother.”

“I am just delighted to be here tonight — and I really do mean that, because I don’t like to go out much — but I’m out tonight because I get to talk about my big little brother,” she began.

“He is a giant among men. Not only in what you see in his 6’6″ physical stature, but he is a giant soul. He has a ginormous spirit that is guided by a divine hand.“

Winfrey praised Perry’s ability to “create art that lets people know they matter.” Her words were supported by an elite group of guests, including Hollywood producer Nicole Avant, Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos, veteran entertainment executive Debra L. Lee, Debbie Allen, LaTanya Richardson Jackson, Cookie Johnson, Tina Knowles, Ebony Obsidian, Tika Sumpter, Diane Warren, and Yvette Nicole Brown.

Perry sat alongside friends Duchess Meghan Markle and actress Kerry Washington (who hosted the evening) and got emotional listening to Winfrey sing his praises.

“The majority of people watch the news and they think, ‘Oh, what a shame,’” Winfrey said. “Tyler watches and says, ‘What can I do now to make a change?’”

Washington credited Perry with helping to reignite her career when it reached a stagnant point, and she considered retiring from acting after achieving a personal goal of starring on Broadway. However, Perry had other plans when he offered her a role in For Colored Girls and motivated her to continue acting onscreen.

“Tyler encouraged me to dream a bigger dream for myself, to reach further, to dream that there was something out there for me that was beyond what I had imagined,” she shared. “He invited me into a world with my peers and with my heroes, and he told me that I belonged, and it changed the trajectory of my career.”

Perry received his award from Avant and Sarandos before taking the stage to deliver a heartfelt 10-minute speech. He shared how challenging this time of year is for him, as it marks the anniversary of his mother, Maxine Perry’s, passing. Perry also opened up about the traumas of his childhood, recounting his experiences of witnessing his father abuse his mother, enduring sexual abuse, being racially profiled by police, and witnessing a teacher kill his pet hamster under the pretense of a science experiment.

“The very fact that I can stand here today — and that little boy who didn’t have the tools that I have as a man was able to make it — I think that’s enough to allow myself to celebrate,” Perry said.

“At 55 years old, I am the freest version of myself that I’ve ever been. I turned toward all of that pain, threw my arms wide open, embraced every bit of it, stared at the shame, went down in it, and took the power out so that I could heal. And I would challenge each and every one of you to do that as well.”