Tyler Perry: 'We Are Still Being Racially Profiled'

Racial profiling "should be a hate crime investigated by the FBI," filmmaker Tyler Perry wrote in a Facebook posting Sunday in which he described his own tense encounter with police.

Read the whole story at CNN

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Comments

[AeonTours]

04:53 PM on 04/19/2012

I love, love, love Tyler Perry. But something's wrong when you pull an illegal turn, and are driving a car with tinted windows (also illegal) and call it racial profiling when you get pulled over. How could it be racial profiling if the officers couldn't see you in the car (due to your tinted windows)?

[commentarycomments]

04:36 AM on 04/10/2012

Bottom Line Tyler broke a traffic law and the Cops did not recognize him and sure maybe they have never seen any of his movies but that is okay not a law broken there and so
Regardless he should have admitted the driving mistake was wrong and apologized then said thank you No one is above the law and everyone should be treated equally with all black or white.There is one maker of all us and one judge for all black people and all white people.
Let it go already enough is enough we are all equal even if we were red, green or blue people.

[demlover1]

08:09 PM on 04/05/2012

After reading the article, I'm not sure that this falls under racial profiling or not. It sounds like Mr. Perry made an illegal left turn, which raised suspicion and was stopped by officers as most of us would be. And then because another officer recognized that he was famous he got out of getting a ticket that most of us would have gotten. I don't know if he was treated worse or better than the average person was treated. It sounds actually like he got special treatment because he was famous. So I can't feel that badly for him.

I know if a police officer sees me driving and sees me do something illegal like turning from the wrong lane or I have a tail light out or something, I will get a ticket and the officers aren't usually that warm and friendly about it. They are usually pretty businesslike. It's a pretty dangerous job and they never know who they are talking to. And most of us of all races have been told by our parents to be very polite to police officers and don't give them any back talk. I have to say, I was surprised that this was the example he used of racial profiling ( which is a real problem)--a situation where he got out of a ticket because another officer recognized that he was famous.

[contradiction]

06:58 PM on 04/03/2012

Um... so where does the racial profiling come in?

I'd think he'd be more upset about being given a pass for his celebrity than being pulled over for making and illegal turn.

[AeonTours]

04:55 PM on 04/19/2012

sounds to me like it's another fragile, Hollywood type that expects to be above the law. (let's face it - there ARE a lot of racist people in this world...this instance, however, doesn't necessarily seem race related)

[tgwrh]

01:34 PM on 04/03/2012

By Perry's own account, he made an illegal left turn from the right turn lane (sure he signaled, that doesn't make it legal). He had tinted glass preventing the cops from seeing his race. The police stopped him for making an illegal left turn, not for DWB (they couldn't tell his color because of the tinted glass).

[Ron Andre]

05:31 PM on 04/04/2012

Thats true. As you imply, everyone should obey the law. Even celebrities. Of ALL etnicities.
But that is not what Tyler is talking about either. Its the fact that those officers over reacted because before the black officer arrived and informed them of Tyler's status, which yes, should also have been irrevelant, they actually were dealing with him in DWB mode! You probbaly dont get my point if all you can see is the race card floating in fron of you.

[Dan Slander]

07:04 AM on 04/03/2012

Bottom line, Perry beat the ticket because he was RICH and FAMOUS. And it was about color GREEN.

[johnnie mae palmer]

03:25 AM on 04/03/2012

Tyler Perry you're admired and an inspired by many that felt there was never going to be any light at the end of the tunnel for Afro Americans. Let's think about something far as reparations are concerned. Everyone gets some type of reparations but Blacks and everything we are responsible for designing or creating is being used to this day. However, no pay for us because we are of the wrong color. Let's remove the stop lights, the first wooden chair and all the products we now use with the peanut butter. This is only 3 of the things being utilized by so many, Where is our reparation?

[fabuloush2s]

06:34 PM on 04/06/2012

I have been trying to address reparations and the unfairness for people of color. After some years, it fell of the tracks and the focus went to the illegal wars under G. Bush/Cheney. Therefore as always, any form of reparations has been silenced by those who claim, "slavery happened centries ago, it was not my fault, (most non-black population) they go on with stating (on many talk shows that hosted the topic) I am not responsible for what my family did!" However, history shows the non-Afro Americans have received resitiution for wrongs that occurred against them. There is so much proof more important lost of lives (hanging-shooting-beating to death) More dialouge needs to come through and perhaps Tyer will draw a new interest with all that's going on.. Movies and interviews.. open discussions-forums... Let's do something!

[SandsAZ]

12:04 AM on 04/03/2012

Black leaders profile...blacks:

''There is nothing more painful for me at this stage in my life,'' Jesse Jackson said several years ago, ''than to walk down the street and hear footsteps and start thinking about robbery -- and then look around and see somebody white and feel relieved.''

Jessie Jackson

www.nytimes.com/1999/06/20/magazine/the-color-of-suspicion.html?pagewanted=5

[JustSpankinUrMom]

10:42 PM on 04/02/2012

And this is why you are being profiled:
http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/cjis/ucr/crime-in-the-u.s/2010/crime-in-the-u.s.-2010/tables/table-43

[robXdion]

10:14 PM on 04/02/2012

It's just so maddening to see people who have used stereotypes and society's disdain of black men to make their fortunes now all of a sudden want to complain about the Trayvon Martin situation like they don't know how it happened (looking at you Tyler & Oprah).

And this comes from those in the black community who should know better. Black men have complained about profiling for decades and people within the community blew it off. If you said anything you were mocked. Tyler Perry markets his films to black women to capitalize on the misandry within the community. Now he's flipping it to capitalize in the opposite direction.

And for those proudly individualistic black under 30 yr olds you better take note. The public image presented of your demographic DOES effect you personally. Never be so thrilled to see someone black "get that money" that you can't see you've become their punchline.

[crystal clear 919]

10:08 PM on 04/02/2012

Anyone who doesn't believe that racial profiling exist is living in a fairy tale. It happens everywhere from our highways to our schools....... Believe it.

[hbombed]

08:43 PM on 04/02/2012

Isn't it weird that people use stereotypes found in TV and MOVIES to generalize (profile) an entire group of people, Tyler Perry?

[shankapotomus]

08:23 PM on 04/02/2012

You are the racist.

[whataboutGod]

07:36 PM on 04/02/2012

I am so sorry about what happened to Tyler. It is so true especially today.

[contradiction]

06:59 PM on 04/03/2012

Yes - I feel terrible for him. It's a sad day when a celebrity isn't held accountable for his traffic infraction.

[whataboutGod]

08:13 PM on 04/03/2012

I guess it never happened to you.

[contradiction]

11:52 AM on 04/06/2012

I have to come up here to respond to your last post where you ask: So you have never been racially profiled?

I'd still like for you to tell me what part of Tyler Perry's story is indicative of him being racially profiled. He wrote an article to convince people he was racially profiled and I'm still confused about where the racial profiling came in. PLEASE, I'm begging you - tell me!

[whataboutGod]

05:41 PM on 04/07/2012

Thanks for responding but I have asked you have you ever been pulled over for being black for a reason. Tyler said he was handled in a harsh manner because he was a black man. Have you ever had this happen? I am amazed how many people who have never had this happen and think they know what it is all about. Your statement that he wrote an article to try to convince people that he was being profiled? You know when it is happening to you and if you are not a black person you won't get it. It is kinda like Newt Gingrich and his buzz words, welfare and food stamps. These words are used to make white people angry because they think their hard earned money is going to slackers who don't deserve it without saying those words. Did you hear the story about Michael Jordan and Eddie Murphy being on an elevator and this little old white lady thought they were going to rob her because they were black. You think that just because he was pulled over for an offense that he was not profiled after that.