Movie mogul and philanthropist Tyler Perry received the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian award at the Oscars ceremony.
In his speech, he thanked his mother for teaching him lessons early in life about refusing to hate people because of their race, ethnicity or sexual orientation.
Perry recalled that his mom came home early one day from work, distraught. She explained that someone called in a bomb threat at the Jewish Community Center where she worked with toddlers.
“My mother taught me to refuse to hate,” Perry said. “She taught me to refuse blanket judgement.”
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Perry dedicated the award to anyone who would “stand in the middle,” with him, in that place where healing and change happens.
