When it comes to race, Tyler Perry says he’s putting off giving his 7-year-old son Aman “the talk.”
Speaking to AARP in a recent profile, the filmmaker and creator of the tough-as-nails character “Madea” gave a rare glance into his life with his son Aman, who he shares with model Gelila Bekele.
In his interview, Perry explained his efforts to protect his son from the realities of being Black in the world. In particular, the actor opened up about his reasons for putting off “the talk,” or the conversation Black parents give their children when it comes to the realities and dangers of their race.
“I haven’t had the conversation with Aman because he’s only 7, and I want to hold out as long as I can,” Perry shared. “I don’t want to tell him that there are people who will judge him because of the color of his skin, because right now he’s in a school with every race, and all these kids are in their purest form. When he describes his friends, he never defines them by race. So, the moment he loses that innocence is going to be a very, very sad day for me.”
The filmmaker added that he knows the conversation is imminent.
“I know it’s coming, though, because he’s already asking some really tough questions,” he explained. “What I want him to be, more than anything, is somebody who sees injustice, speaks out against it, and effects change.”
Another notable aspect of Perry’s approach to parenting highlighted in the interview was his strife to maintain his son’s privacy. “My son’s not famous,” he remarked about his desire to keep his private life private. “I want him to have as normal a life as he can. I want him to know what it’s like to have his own name and his own life and not have the pressure of trying to live up to whatever or whoever your father was.”
