Tyler Perry Weighs In On Georgia Voting Law That “Harkens To The Jim Crow Era”

Tyler Perry, who owns the massive Tyler Perry Studios in Atlanta and is one of Georgia’s biggest employers of film and TV workers, is speaking out about the state’s recently passed, restrictive voter law, calling it “unconstitutional” and one that “harkens to the Jim Crow era.”

The new law, which Gov. Brian Kemp signed last week, requires tougher ID rules for absentee ballots, limits the use of drop boxes like the ones implemented nationwide during the 2020 elections, and gives state officials the ability to override jurisdictions of local election boards. It also criminalizes the act of giving voters waiting in line food or water.

Voting rights organizations argue the law targets voters of color in the state, which was the epicenter of the November elections that saw it vote in two Democratic senators in contentious runoffs. Joe Biden also carried Georgia in the presidential election, the first time a Democrat had done that since 1992.

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“As a Georgia resident and business owner I’ve been here a few times with the anti-abortion bill and the LGBTQ discrimination bill,” Perry said in a statement Tuesday. “They all sent a shockwave through Georgia and the nation but none of them managed to succeed. I’m resting my hope in the DOJ taking a hard look at this unconstitutional voter suppression law that harkens to the Jim Crow era.

“As some consider boycotting,” he continued, “please remember that we did turn Georgia blue and there is a gubernatorial race on the horizon – that’s the beauty of a democracy.” Incumbent Republican Kemp has announced he’ll will run for re-election in 2022. He may face a primary challenge after getting heat from former President Donald Trump for refusing to overturn the results of the 2020 election.

Perry’s comments come as the Hollywood industry that is so heavily invested in Georgia once again is weighing actions including boycotts in the state, much as it did after the it passed a restrictive 2019 abortion law known as the “heartbeat bill.” Several productions exited the state after that; the bill is currently held up in court.

Earlier this week, the National Black Justice Coalition urged the PGA Tour to boycott next month’s Masters major golf tournament, which is held annually in Augusta, GA, over the voting law. Other sports leagues will likely be weighing options including Major League Baseball, which is set to hold its All-Star Game in Atlanta this year.

Perry’s 330-acre Tyler Perry Studios is located in the heart of Atlanta on the grounds of the former Fort McPherson Army base, with 40 buildings, 12 soundstages, 200 acres of green space and a backlot. He was among the first to employ a bubble model during the Covid pandemic to return hundreds of cast and crewmember to work on his various projects.

He also has been active in the Atlanta community. In April 2020 as the pandemic surged, he donated $21,000 to 42 out-of-work servers at Houston’s on Northside Parkway, a favorite restaurant of his. A few weeks later, he anonymously picked up the tabs at 44 Atlanta-area Krogers during the store’s designated shopping hour for seniors and at-risk patrons.

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