“Our Footprints Are on Water”: Tyler Perry’s Defiant Stand for African History

Photo source: Sportskeeda

At the 2025 BET Awards, Tyler Perry delivered more than just a speech — he issued a call to memory and resistance. In a world where history is increasingly edited or erased, his words landed with force: “If our children don’t know our history, they won’t know our power.” That one line struck at the heart of a dangerous trend — the silent, systematic removal of Black stories from textbooks, libraries, and public memory.

Perry warned that history is under siege. Books are being banned, names erased, and cultural legacies ignored. In place of truth, there’s an effort to present a diluted, sanitised version of the past. But what makes Perry’s message remarkable is the imagery he used: “Our footprints are on water.” That metaphor reaches back to the transatlantic slave trade — people torn from their homeland and forced into a brutal world where their stories were never meant to survive. And yet, here they are. Still walking. Still remembered.

Perry reminded the world that African history isn’t confined to museums or archives. It lives in people, traditions, names, languages, struggles, victories, and survival. To erase it is not only an act of ignorance but also a calculated attempt to weaken identity and control the narrative.

In a time where Black children are growing up in systems that often fail to reflect their truth, Perry’s message matters. If they are not told where they come from, they may never realise what they are capable of. This is not just about preserving memory; it is about protecting dignity and reclaiming the future.

History does not vanish because it is banned. As Perry declared, “We left footprints on water” — and no one can wash that away.