ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION — In 2017, Harold Young, events coordinator at the Tubman African American Museum in Macon, had a dream to create an exhibit celebrating the life of Tyler Perry.
He sent frequent emails, made calls, even drove 80 miles to Tyler Perry Studios on a whim to drop off a note to Perry, a note the security guard couldn’t even accept.
Finally, after his latest request, on Dec. 3, 2020, he received an e-mail. “We’re good to move forward with this,” wrote Perry’s publicist Chantal Artur. “Tyler has approved.”
“I’m sitting at my desk blown away,” said Young, who soon after became the first ever Black executive director of the Tubman Museum, which opened in 1981 to celebrate the rich art and history of African Americans.
The exhibit, which will be at the Tubman Museum for two years, covers 4,000 square feet and features a summary of Perry’s life including his difficult childhood in New Orleans, his early days struggling to break into entertainment, the success of his stage plays, his Madea films, his TV comedies and his road to becoming a respected filmmaker, studio owner, philanthropist and self-made billionaire. Many of his most notable quotes are plastered on the walls.
